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Sir George Leonard Staunton (1737–1801) arrived in China in 1792 as a member of a British delegation. Their goal was to improve trade and establish better diplomatic relations with the Chinese. At the time, China restricted economic activity with foreigners to the port of Canton (Guangzhou). Although the delegation failed in their endeavor, Staunton kept detailed notes throughout his time in China. In 1797, a two-volume account of his visit was published and later translated into French and German. The publication documented Chinese culture, customs, and artifacts at the height of the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). It also detailed the various ports of call visited en route, from Tenerife to Sumatra. The work elicited great interest and small-format editions were published in 1797; an American edition followed in 1799. Artist William Alexander (1767–1816), who traveled with the delegation, completed all of the illustrations for the publication, which were freely copied by pottery manufacturers. All objects are from the collection of Michael Sack. See "From #PrintToPlate: Views of the East on Transferware" on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/PrintToPlate
This image was posted on August 11, 2016.