The Forbidden City, Pekin & Chinese Views Souvenir Playing Cards

Produced in 1901 by the Los Angeles-based Grimes-Stassforth Stationery Company, The Forbidden City, Pekin & Chinese Views Souvenir Playing Cards (call number MINI01756) initially presents itself as a casual object designed purely for leisure and entertainment. It contains 54 playing cards, comprising a complete set of the four suits, one Joker card, and one advertisement card.¹ Each of the suited cards features a black-and-white photograph depicting a scene from China. The Joker card portrays Li Hongzhang (1823–1901), a prominent Chinese statesman, general, and diplomat who became widely known to American audiences at the time following his visit to the United States in 1896.

Yet, beneath its seemingly innocent surface, this deck offers a tendentious portrayal of the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901), an uprising that dramatically reshaped China’s relationship with the Western powers and Imperial Japan at the turn of the twentieth century. Although advertised boldly as an “Artistic and Accurate Pictorial Souvenir of The Chinese War,” close inspection quickly undermines the claim of accuracy, revealing deliberate manipulations and misrepresentations intended to foreground violence and justify stereotypes.²  The cards serve as a vivid illustration of how everyday leisure objects can subtly embed constructed narratives, complicating the remembrance and interpretation of historical events.

This digital exhibition invites visitors to explore intellectual and visual complexities, encouraging reflection on the roles that visual culture and mass-produced ephemera have historically played in shaping public perception.

Citation
1. The deck held by the Rare Book & Manuscript Library is missing the Three and Twelve of Hearts. For another discussion on this product, see Karina Corrigan, “‘The Forbidden City’ Souvenir Playing Cards,” in Power and Perspective: Early Photography in China, edited by Karina Corrigan, Stephanie H. Tung, Bing Wang, and Tingting Xu (Peabody Essex Museum, 2022), 304–7.

2. American Stationer, January 18, 1902, 31, cited in Corrigan, “‘The Forbidden City’ Souvenir Playing Cards.”

Content Warning

This exhibition includes visual content depicting distressing scenes, such as executions and fabricated cultural customs. Readers may recognize strong parallels between these historical playing cards and contemporary issues, particularly in relation to intentional misrepresentation and enduring stereotypes. Through critical engagement with these images, the exhibition seeks to raise greater awareness of the connections between historical representations and contemporary narratives. For more on how we handle sensitive materials, please see the Library’s Sensitive Content Statement.

Acknowledgements

Curated by

• Dr. Bing Wang, Chinese Studies Librarian, International and Area Studies Library
• Ruthann Mowry, Curator, Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Digital Exhibition Designed by

• James Gordon, Graduate Assistant, Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Digital Exhibition Arranged by

• Ana D. Rodriguez, Digitization Coordinator & Registrar, Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Photography by

• Rachael Johns, Digital Imaging Specialist II, Preservation Services

We would like to extend a warm thank you to everyone who helped us make this exhibition into a reality.

Columbia University Libraries

• Jane Siegel, Rare Book Librarian, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Newberry Library

Wellcome Collection

Getty Museum

University Library at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

• Claire Stewart, Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Dean of Libraries and University Librarian
• Mary Laskowski, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate University Librarian for Operations and Services
• Lynne M. Thomas, Head, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Rare Book and Manuscript Professor
• Dr. Steve Witt, Head, International and Area Studies Library
• Dr. Clara M Chu, Director, Mortenson Center for International Library Programs
• Digitization Services Staff
• Rare Book & Manuscript Library Staff

Funding for this exhibit was graciously provided by the W. Peter and Joan MacFarlane Hood University Library Endowment Fund.

Copyright  © 2025 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois & The Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign