Photograph album related to the Gotch-Robinson High School (or Shoushan Middle School)

This material is held atEdinburgh University Library Heritage Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 237 Coll-1998
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1926-1929
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 1 album
      Approximately 147 gelatin silver print photographs, 2 x 3 inches (5 x 7.5 cm), captioned by hand throughout in white ink, on 50 II. thick black card; in binder-style album of soft leather boards with binding metal studs, textured design embossed on upper board, titled "Photographs"; excellent condition overall.

Scope and Content

This is an album containing approxmately 147 photographs with captions, showing staff, students, premises and scenes from the Gotch-Robinson High School (also known as Shoushan Middle School) in the 1920s. The school was a British Baptist school located in Tsingchowfu, Shantung, in North China. It was founded in 1917 by the English Baptist Missionary Society, and was dissolved in 1929 amid the changes in the education system after the Nationalists took over Shandong province.

The album presents a general view of the school between 1926 and 1929, showcasing its geography, art and nature-study classrooms, library ("Jones' Memorial Library") and "Type-writing Room", as well as the chemistry lab, and demonstrating the general lessons and activities from carpentry to sports such as basketball and Chinese boxing, and field trips (e.g. "A Mapping Expedition outside the West Gate"). It also includes portraits of several of the staff; including, at the end of the album the Principal, Frederick Seguier Drake, who was an English Baptist priest with a keen interest in traditional Chinese culture.

It is probable that the compiler was a member of staff or a staff member's family. He or she has included a portrait of the 'Daughters of C. T. Wang, Principal of Primary School' and 'Cook & his Nephew'; it seems likely that the photographer is also part of this small community.

Access Information

Signing a data protection form to consult this album will be required until 1 January 2030.

Acquisition Information

Purchased in June 2019. Accession no. SC-Acc-2020-0063.

Archivist's Note

Catalogued in August 2020 by Aline Brodin, using information from the seller.

Genre/Form

Geographical Names