After
the opening of the port of Shanghai, its rich pictorial
magazine industry was first launched. The 1870's witnessed
the emergence of Shanghai's early pictorials. In 1875
an American Christian missionary edited and published
a pictorial, Children's Monthly, designed specially
for children with a large number of exquisite and beautiful
pictures. In 1877 the Shen Bao (Shanghai News) office
printed the short-lived Huangying(Wide sea) Pictorial
on an irregular basis, each issue consisting of eight
ten pictures. Because its contents were mostly outdated
tidbits and anecdotes selected from back numbers of
foreign pictorials, it did not have a great appeal and
was discontinued quietly after five issues. In 1880
the Shanghai Bible Society complied and published New
Illustrated Newspaper, a heavily illustrated comprehensive
periodical providing not only maps landscapes, famous
men's portraits, etc. , but scientific information in
such field as astronomy and geography.
By then the Shen Bao had gradually developed into a
major Chinese language newspaper. In 1884 , Shen Bao
expanded its influence: its subordinate Dian Shi Studio
Lithographic Press initiated the Dian Shi Studio Pictorial,
which represented a great effort to set up the first
regular and stable pictorial in China. It engaged the
famous genre Wu Youru as its editor-in-chief. During
the Qing dynasty emperor Daoguang's reign, Wu Youru
studied art at an early age. He was adept at painting
and his works covered a wide spectrum of themes from
figures, court ladies and landscapes, to flowers and
plants, birds and animals, and insects and fish. He
created New Year's pictures for art stores on Shantang
Street and at Tao Hua Wu at the foot of Tiger Hill in
Suzhou. He also traveled north and south of the Changjiang
River and broadened his horizons by observing the different
customs and manners. Among his colleagues were such
painters as Jin Chanxiang, Zhang Zhiying , Zhou Muqiao,
He Yuanjun, Tian Zilin, Fu Genxin, Zhu Ruxian, Ma Ziming
and Wu Zimei.
Dian Shi Studio Pictorial was formally inaugurated
as a quarterly on May 8, 1884. Lithographed on a kind
of fine, flimsy Chinese paper, each issue contained
eight bound pages with nine pictures. From its beginning
to its termination in 1898, altogether more than 4,000
pictures.
Like Shen bao, Dian Shi Studio Pictorial had dissemination
of news as its man objective. It specialized in current
event and social news as well as presenting interesting
items from the West, Chinese and foreign customs, and
information on cultural relics, historical sites and
scenic spots. The artists' realistic styles, with their
detailed and precise portrayals, lent vitality to the
pictures. The Dian Shi Studio Pictorial witnessed foreign
powers' step-by-step invasion of China, the Qing Court's
loss of its sovereignty, and the escalation of the national
crises. That same year the Sino-French War broke out.
The Pictorial presented graphic reports on the situation
of the war and the actual hostilities. At the same time,
it also dealt with political affairs of the Qing court,
such as grand ceremonies, high officials' inspection
tours, exchange of envoys, and achievements of important
ministers.
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