1900 Service Géographique Boxer Rebellion Era Diazo Map of Beijing and Environs

An exceptional c. 1900 Boxer Rebellion period map of Beijing and vicinity, China. Presented as a diazo or whiteprint (reverse cyanotype), with some manuscript, this map while complete onto itself, represents a small part of a now-lost French Service Géographique manuscript map of the environs of Beijing prepared for field use during the Boxer Rebellion (1899 - 1901). Offering greater detail than any known contemporaneous map of the region, the exceptional cartography here was not eclipsed until the 1930s and 40s.

Surveying the Map

While the map initially appears incomplete, further study suggests it to be 'complete in an or itself, or as intended' being a whiteprint copy of a portion of a larger antecedent map. The presence of a manuscript redrawn scale (upper right), indicates that the map was meant to be used 'as is'. Three villages southwest of the walled city are highlighted with red manuscript underscoring, 'Ki Tchoang' (Kichwang, Qijiazhuang, 祁家庄), 'Sioo Ouki' (Siaowuki, Xiaowujicun, 小武基村), and 'Tsao Ling' (Zaolin, 枣林). These villages do not appear on most maps of the period, but at least two appear on a British Ordnance Survey of 1926. It is unclear why they are highlighted as the sites are very minor and are unassociated with any known military action during the (or after).

The Boxer Rebellion or Yihetuan Movement

The Boxer Rebellion or Yihetuan Movement (1899 - 1901, 義和團運動) was an anti-foreign anti-imperialist uprising marked by proto-nationalism in northeastern China. The rebellion was largely a response to Christian missionary activity in China and was initially supported by the Qing Empress Dowager Cixi and her ministers who distrusted the radical and unpredictable peasant movement but sympathized with their goal of driving foreign influence out of China. In June of 1900, some 20,000 Boxers, convinced that their spiritual and martial prowess gave them immunity to foreign weapons, attacked the Chinese Christians and foreign nationals living in Beijing's Legation Quarter. Although terrible violence ensued, the Legation Quarter was able to mount a ragtag defense – which is outlined on this map. Relief came about a month later in the form of the Eight-Nation Alliance China Relief Force, which, with an army of some 20,000, defeated the Boxers and occupied Beijing, as well as a number of other northern Chinese cities. The atrocities and looting that ensued, particularly at the hands of Russian and Japanese forces, are well documented and horrifying.

Diazo Print or Whiteprint

The diazo print (whiteprint or diazo for short) is a photo reproductive technique best understood as a reverse cyanotype or blueprint. The process yields distinctive blue lines on white paper. Like cyanotypes, the diazo process gained popularity in architecture circles, where it was a simple and effective way to duplicate documents in the field. The earliest diazotypes appeared around 1880, and were adopted for military and field cartographic use from about 1895. Diazo process was commercialized in 1923, when the German firm, Kalle and Company, developed Ozalid, a patented diazo paper that made the diazotyping even easier. By the 1950s, it supplemented cyanotypes as the reprographic technique of choice for technical drawings.

Publication History and Census

As noted, this is a ready-made diazotype issued during or shortly after the Boxer Rebellion. The map seems to have been extracted from a much larger unknown manuscript map - note the informal structure of the text and lines - doubtless prepared by a French army Service Géographique cartographer active in the field. It is dissected and mounted on sturdy cloth -perfect for stuffing into the pocket of an officer's jacket. The map exhibits a scope similar to the 1907 Peking und Umgebung, considered the definitive map of the environs of Beijing in the years immediately following the Boxer Rebellion, but offers far greater detail, naming more locations and illustrating roads and footpaths more clearly. This is the only known example of this map and possibly the only surviving portion of the now lost greater map from which it was extracted.