CHINA. DECAPITATIONS , JAPANESE ATROCITIES.

The gruesome horrors of inhumanity and war. There are approximately 100 vintage photographs, mostly 3" x 4 ½". 18 are early copies of graphic photographs of public beheadings from an earlier period. Several of these are sequences from the same event. One has a pencil inscription on the back, "Chinese Army Law." These are toned gelatin silver prints without borders.

10 deckle-edge snapshots show scenes of Japanese soldiers performing roadside executions during the Japan-China war.

28 snapshots with white borders are scenes of death. These include a powerful series of 4 that show roadside executions at close range. 2 show a prisoner being killed by a bayonet. Many show corpses. Some pen notes are included, such as "All the victims are Chinese. The scenes make excellent propaganda material for the Japanese people at home." Another reads, "The Chinese photographer whom we purchased them from was later arrested by the Japanese secret police. Never found out what happened to him." Another: "These war pictures are of Tientsin and surrounding country – taken by a Japanese officer who sold them to a Chinese photographer."

58 show various scenes of ruins, and American activities in China during this period. Some have places identified on the verso. One has a pen inscription, "Give this one to John. October 1936 – somewhere between Tientsin & Taku, China. This is an action picture. Those mounds you see… are Chinese graves. North China is full of them." A few of the other notations are: "Co. O, Chinese Army, Tientsin," "Ex-Austrian Bridge Tientsin," "Nankin University Tientsin" [ruins.] One note: "15th Infantry guarding American homes during war between Chinese and Japanese at Tientsin July 1937." These are important documents, many probably unique. All are clear with good content, without fading or damage, just slight wear.