Temple of Heaven, Peking, China
127555 
Temple of Heaven, Peking, China 
Manchu women, China
325095 
Manchu women, China 
Great Wall, Nan K'ou, China
325490 
Great Wall, Nan K'ou, China 
Pa t'a chu, Peking, China
325491 
Pa t'a chu, Peking, China 
Great Wall, Peking, China
325492 
Great Wall, Peking, China 
Canal pump to irrigate rice fields, China
330799 
Canal pump to irrigate rice fields, China 
Temple Hill, Jehol, China
333188 
Temple Hill, Jehol, China 
Great Wall, China
333189 
Great Wall, China 
Irrigation of rice fields, China, about 1900
333775 
Irrigation of rice fields, China, about 1900 
Ming Pagoda, Imperial Palace, China, about 1900
333779 
Ming Pagoda, Imperial Palace, China, about 1900 
Stone alley of Ming tombs, outside Peking, China, about 1900
333780 
Stone alley of Ming tombs, outside Peking, China, about 1900 
Pai Lou Archgate outside Tung Yo Miao, Peking, China
333781 
Pai Lou Archgate outside Tung Yo Miao, Peking, China 
Sedan chairs and bearers, China
333782 
Sedan chairs and bearers, China 
Boats in canal, Peking, about 1900
333784 
Boats in canal, Peking, about 1900 
Bridge, Summer Palace, Peking, China, about 1900
333785 
Bridge, Summer Palace, Peking, China, about 1900 
Kuanti Temple next to Peking City wall, Ch'ien men gate, Peking, about 1900
333786 
Kuanti Temple next to Peking City wall, Ch'ien men gate, Peking, about 1900 
Palanquin with attendants, China
333805 
Palanquin with attendants, China 
Buddhist monks, China
336282 
Buddhist monks, China 
Sacred dance of Five Lamas, Tibet
336283 
Sacred dance of Five Lamas, Tibet 
Sacred dance of five lamas, China
336284 
Sacred dance of five lamas, China 
Manchu portrait, China
336288 
Manchu portrait, China 
Pagoda of the Dragon's Glory, (Pagoda Lung fa), Shanghai
336291 
Pagoda of the Dragon's Glory, (Pagoda Lung fa), Shanghai 
Covered cart, Peking, China
336399 
Covered cart, Peking, China 
Mongolian men with camel, China
336400 
Mongolian men with camel, China 
Mongolian Lamas from Yung huo Kung
336452 
Mongolian Lamas from Yung huo Kung 
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Jacob H. Schiff Chinese Expedition
Jacob H. Schiff Chinese Expedition 
Berthold Laufer (1874-1934) was a young German scholar of Asian languages and scripts when Franz Boas recruited him for fieldwork on Sakhalin Island and the Amur River as part of the American Museum of Natural History’s Jesup North Pacific Expedition (1897-1902). Having proven his aptitude for ethnographic fieldwork, he was asked by Boas to undertake a second substantial expedition on the Museum’s behalf. The Jacob H. Schiff expedition (1901-1904) sent Laufer to China to “carry out scientific investigations in Eastern Asia” (Laufer to Boas, January 7, 1900) and to make “collections which illustrate the popular customs and beliefs of the Chinese, their industries, and their mode of life.” (Boas to Jesup, December 27, 1902)

Laufer was tasked with studying and documenting all manner of Chinese enterprise, while at the same time amassing a collection that could serve as the foundation for a nascent Asian studies enterprise in New York which would link Columbia University, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and would cement New York City’s reputation as a premiere hub of knowledge on China. Although the project ultimately failed, it established the foundation for Asian Studies at Columbia University and brought a wealth of China-related material to AMNH.

During the three-year expedition, Laufer traveled extensively through eastern China. He attempted to make as complete a collection of Chinese material as was possible given both finite funds and time. In the end, Laufer assembled an extensive collection of over 7500 representative objects used in daily life, agriculture, folk religion, medicine, entertainment, and in the practice of such crafts as printing, bookbinding, carpentry, enamelware, ceramics, and laquerware.

Along with these objects, Laufer sent the Museum approximately 143 photographic prints and a list of associated captions. There is no record where or when Laufer acquired these photographs. There is also no record of Laufer having taken any himself or of his ever using a camera, and several photographs are known to be widely-distributed images available for purchase at the time. Until now, these photographs and associated information have existed only in the Museum’s archives. 
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