1936 Frank Dorn Map Of Beijing Or Peking, China
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:32158 |
1936 Frank Dorn Map of Beijing or Peking, China
WE SELL ONLY ORIGINAL ANTIQUE MAPS - NOT REPRODUCTIONS
Title: A Map and History of Peiping; formerly known as Peking; capital of provinces, princedoms, and kingdoms since 1121 B.C.; in 1264 A.D. the capital of the Mongol Empire of Kublai Khan; made the capital of the Ming Empire and built as it is today by Yung Lo in 1421; continued as the capital of the Chinese Empire through the Ming and Ching Dynasties; and now a ...city which will live long in the memory of man as one of the greatest the world has ever known. Completed on this fifth day of February in the year of our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Thirty-six.
Description: A beautiful example of Frank Dorn's iconic 1936 pictorial map of Beijing or Peking, China. Considered one of the great maps from the Golden Age of Pictorial Cartography, this map details Beijing as contained within the old city walls as well as parts of the surrounding area. Dorn combines cartographic accuracy with a dense array of ethnographic and historical vignettes intended to illustrate this history of Beijing. Some of these include the Old Execution Ground, the Eunuchs' Cemetery, the Dog Temple, the Temple of Eighteen Hells and the Spider Pagoda, among countless others. The elaborate border takes the form of a chronology of Beijing, with illustrated annotations such as 'Decadent Period under the Ch'ings' and 'Capital of Kublai Khan 1264'. This is the first edition of this map, as it bears the flag of Nazi Germany in the Legation Quarter. Later editions of the map removed the Nazi flag.
This map is Dorn's only cartographic production and grew out of his fascination with Chinese history. The preface to his 1970 book The Forbidden City: The Biography of a Palace, Dorn describes the inception of this remarkable map:.I developed an interest in the Forbidden City and other imperial residences, first from casual sightseeing and then from conducting important visitors and tourists through the palaces. A growing familiarity with the buildings and courts soon became an absorbing urge to learn more about the history and legends connected with those who had created and lived within the walls of the palace-city. The first result of my researches was a pictorial map of Peking, after which I was completely hooked on the whole fascinating subject.
Dorn's inspiration in creating this map may well have been the work of California artist Jo Mora (1876-1847), with whom he was a friend and admirer. The whimsical style, bright colors, and overall design is certainly highly reminiscent of Mora's work.
This map was published in Tientsin and Beijing, China by the Peiyang Press, in 1936.
Size: Printed area measures 33 inches high by 29 inches wide.
Condition: Good. Backed on archival tissue for stability. Old repair to six and one half inch tear in upper portion of map caused discoloration. Several fold separations misaligned. Blank on verso. Normally a 3500 USD map
Shipping: Shipping rates are not negotiable. Items are shipped within three business days of receiving payment. We are happy to consolidate shipping where possible. The following shipping options are available: 1. FedEx Overnight (45 USD). USA Only. Signature Required.
2. FedEx Ground or Home Delivery (15 USD). USA Only. 1 - 10 days. If your address is a P.O. Box and cannot ship FedEx we will ship USPS Priority and, while we ship promptly, recent postal personnel cutbacks mean that delivery may take time. Signature Required.
3. FedEx International or DHL International EXPRESS (45 USD).
4. We can use your FedEx Account.
Customs: International buyers are responsible for paying duty and taxes on delivery. DHL or FedEx will contact the buyer by telephone to arrange tax payment if it is levied. Duty varies by country and we cannot predict the amount you will be charged. Some countries are duty free, others are not. Typically, a customs duty and/or VAT tax will be assessed on all parcels to continental Europe. Sometimes duty or tax is due in China, but is seems very random. Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan have never assessed duty on a map we shipped. Maps shipped to the UK should be duty free as educational materials, but from time to time duty of 5% is assessed incorrectly by the UK customs agents.
Insurance: All shipments are insured privately against loss and damage. All of our shipments require a signature for insurance purposes.
If you have any questions please feel free to email us through eBay.
Other ServicesConservation Framing: Geographicus recommends basic conservation framing services for any antique paper. We do not offer this service.
Antique Map Restoration: Geographicus can repair and restore your antique map. Services include deacidification cleaning flattening and backing.
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