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Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, 1907-1927

Ernest Henry Wilson's photographs

These 14 images, with their original captions, were the first of E. H. Wilson’s glass plate negatives to be digitized through a grant from Harvard University. They, along with over 4,500 other photographs that make up the Arnold Arboretum’s historic collection of images of the nature and culture of eastern Asia are now catalogued on VIA, Harvard’s Visual Image Catalog.

Each of the images below links to a large interactive version of the same image.

Instructions for navigating the large version are available here.

First expedition 1907-1909


Ficus lacor Ficus lacor Hamilton. Wan Hsien, Yangtsze River, China. Height 50 ft. Circumference 15 ft. Head 90 ft. through. April 1, 1908		Ficus lacor Ficus lacor Hamilton. Near Feng-tu Hsein, Yangtsze River, Western Szechuan, China. Height 40 ft. Circumference 12 ft. Head 60 ft. through. With wayside shrine and Opium Poppy. April 6, 1908

China - N.E. of Tachien-lu View of snow-clad peaks (21,000 ft. or more), of the Ta-p'ao-shan range from the foot of pass. N.E. of Tachien-lu. Altitude 13,500 ft. July 7, 1908		China - Tachien-lu river Western Szechuan. View in ravine of the Tachien-lu river. This stream falls 4,000 ft. in less than 20 miles! Altitude 6,000 ft. July 30, 1908

China - Tea Carriers Western Szechuan. Men laden with "Brick Tea" for Thibet. One man's load weighs 317 lbs. avoird. the other's 298 lbs. avoird.!! Men carry this tea as far as Tachien-lu accomplishing about six miles per day over vile roads. Altitude 5,000 ft. July 30, 1908		Diospyrus lotus Diospyrus lotus Linn. Foot of Fei-Yueh-ling, ching Chi Hsien, W. Szechuan, China. Height 80 ft. Circum. 12 ft. Altitude 5000 ft. August 3, 1908

China - "Pai-lu" memorial arch Western Szechuan. "Pai-lu" memorial arch to the memory of a virtuous widow - a common wayside feature in the west. Near Kuing-Chou. Altitude 2,000 ft. August 8, 1908		China - Chentu City Ching Yang Temple China - Chentu Ching Yang Temple. Pavillion with ornate pillars and trunks of Cypressus funebris Endl. Altitude 1700 ft. August 18, 1908

China - Chentu City China - Chentu Fu. Typical lane in Tartar City. Altitude 1700 ft. August 22, 1908		Ormosia Hosiei Ormosia Hosiei Hemsl. & E.H. Wils. (Hung-tou-shu). Tree 60 ft. X 20 ft. the original tree on which the species is based. Near Chentu City, China. Altitude 1,800 ft. November 11, 1908

Second expedition 1910-1911


China - Yungyang Hsien Eastern Szechuan. "A study in architecture." Castle of rich family named T'ao. Woods of Pinus Massoniana Lamb. behind. Yungyang Hsien. Altitude 3,000 ft. July 2, 1910		China - Pa-chou Sandstone bridge with Cypress. Bamboo and Pistacia chinensis Bunge. Pa-chou. Altitude 2,100 ft. July 14, 1910

Pistacia chinensis Pistacia chinensis Bunge. A magnificent wayside specimen 60 ft. high, 18 ft. girth. Note buttressed roots and protuberances. Pao-ning Fu, China. Altitude 2,000 ft. July 19, 1910		China - Shih-chuan Hsien suspension bridge Western Szechuan. Showing structure of Bamboo suspension bridge, laid on 8 cables each a foot in diameter and suspended from two similar cables on either side. Floor of rough wicker work. Shih-chuan Hsien. Altitude 2,700 ft. August 12, 1910