China, in a Series of Views, Displaying the Scenery, Architecture, and Social Habits, of That Ancient Empire

London & Paris: Fisher, Son, & Co, 1843. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Four volumes, black leather spines & corners over marbled paper-covered boards, gilt decorations and lettering to spines, 10-7/8†x 8-3/4", all plates present, I: 72 + 96 pp. (32 plates), II: 72 pp. (32 plates), III: 68 pp. (32 plates), IV: 56 pp. (32 plates). In each volume, one of the plates is the vignette on the engraved title page. Rubbing to edges of boards, minor repair work to spines. Main flaw is foxing to volume 4 which affects some plates; endpapers have vertical creases from accidental folding. +++++Thomas Allom (1804-1872) was a British architect, topographer, and artist. He traveled widely and produced popular books of views of England and Constantinople. For this book on China, however, it seems unlikely that he ever traveled to China. Instead, he relied on works by previous artists. +++++In the eighteenth century, Britain was concerned about their trade deficit with China. However, the East India Company discovered that they could run opium from India to China, and, once the population was addicted to the drug, the trade imbalance was tilted in England’s favor. British imports of opium to China rose from 200 chests (about 140 pounds) in in 1729 to 40,000 chests in 1838. (That’s 5.6 million pounds of opium. According to the UN, the current street price in China for opium is about $1.80 per gram, which means the UK was delivering the equivalent of $5.6 billion in drugs.) +++++In the late 1830s, China and Britain faced off over China’s increasing crackdown on the opium traffic. It eventually led to the First Opium War of 1839-1842, which ended with the 1842 Treaty of Nanking, giving Hong Kong to the British, forcing China to increase foreign trade, and allowing the continued opium deliveries to China. +++++Thus, the English appetite for knowledge of China was at a peak when Allom produced this book in 1843. Even though Allom produced more of an anthology of art than first-hand impressions, it remained an extremely popular and influential book, and helped form England’s view of China. +++++Extra postage required for international or expedited shipping. (Inventory #: 202040)