1900 Chicago Tribune Pictorial Boxer Rebellion Map of China

This is a rare chromolithograph pictorial map of China issued by the Chicago Tribune on Sunday, September 16, 1900, to illustrate the events of the Boxer Rebellion or Yihetuan Movement. The map details China from Hainan to the Mongolia and from Sichuan to the China Sea. An inset details the route from Peking to the Gulf of Pechili (Bohai Sea), where most of the action of the Boxer Rebellion took place. The surround is of particular reference and features illustrations of armed Boxers and chinoiserie lettering on Chinese style hanging lanterns.

The Boxer Rebellion or Yihetuan Movement

The Boxer Rebellion or Yihetuan Movement 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. In June of 1900 the quasi-spiritual Boxers, convinced they were immune to foreign weapons, attacked the Chinese Christians and foreign nationals living in Beijing's Legation Quarter. Although many killings ensued the Legation Quarter was able to mount a tenuous defense, as outlined here. Relief came quickly in the form of the Eight-Nation Alliance, 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.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic effects. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominate method of color printing.

Publication History

This map was issued as a supplement to the September 16, 1900 edition of the Chicago Tribune. It was prepared and printed by the American Lithographic Company of New York.