Message from The British Library

The British Library is delighted to have this opportunity to work with the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records in the creation of this new exhibition. The collection of Japanese and Chinese prints of the Sino-Japanese War preserved in the British Library is now being made available online for the first time.

The prints were acquired by the British Museum in several consignments in 1895, not long after the events which they depicted, and were clearly regarded by the Museum as an important visual record of a major international conflict. On the establishment of the British Library in 1973 they were transferred to the Library’s Asian department. Twenty years ago in 1994, to mark the centenary of the start of the Sino-Japanese War, I was co-curator of an exhibition of some of these prints in the King’s Library of the British Museum. In those days the internet and digitisation were in their infancy and the exhibition was available only to those who were able to visit the Museum. Research into the events and individuals shown in the prints was entirely based on published sources and there was little opportunity to compare the British Library’s prints with those in other collections. It is a great pleasure to have the chance to be involved in preparing another exhibition about these fascinating prints with all the possibilities afforded by the wealth of material now to be found on the Internet. The advances in technology mean that this exhibition will be available to all those who are interested, wherever they happen to be.

The fact that this exhibition has been produced in conjunction with the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records has meant that the prints can be presented alongside key historical documents from National Archives of Japan and other institutions. In addition, the original materials are supported by explanations and commentaries byJACAR’s specialist staff to put them in context.

Hamish Todd
Lead Curator Japanese and Korean Studies
Asian and African Studies
The British Library