China Illustrated, Topographical Views, Steel Engravings by Thomas Allom Drawn. From original and authentic sketches. Allom was an most talented British artist and architect, his painting is a practical genre of painting which flourished in China in the late Qing period especially in the 19th century when the coastal ports of China opened to western traders. Allom's China drawings were the only means of visual documentation of scenery and scenes of everyday life. Such pictures are an invaluable source of information for the study of history of China. Nowadays occupy a unique place in many museums collections all over the world.

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