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China Trade and Philadelphia

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Eager to prove itself worthy of trading on the world stage as a newly formed nation 250 years ago, America – and especially Philadelphians – embarked on the risky venture of trading with China by entrusting private citizens with the work of establishing trade and diplomatic relationships with the Chinese. Merchants saw dramatic opportunities to make money, building some of the fortunes that helped expand Philadelphia’s role as a major port and city. Continue reading →

Heinrich Harrer in Tibet

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Eighty years ago, in 1946, the Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer (1912-2006) first reached Lhasa. Harrer had escaped a British internment camp in India with Peter Aufschnaiter (1899-1973) to begin their epic 21-month journey through the Himalayas, crossing over 60 mountain passes, to reach freedom in Tibet. He was to record these experiences in the book Seven Years in Tibet (1953), which was made, in 1979,  into a Hollywood film. Continue reading →

JAPANESE PRINTS: MAKING WAVES

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A red Kintaro acting as an umpire for two battling tengu by Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815), colour woodblock print. Tengu are winged, beaked, and clawed birds that lived in the mountains and forests.

Over 100 Japanese prints from celebrated artists such as Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), and Kitagawa Utamaro (1754?-1806), among many others, will create a visually impressive display and provide intriguing insight into the history and development of Japanese woodblock… Continue reading →