A Map and History of Peiping. Formerly known as Peking; capital of provinces princedoms, and kingdoms since 1121 B.C.; in 1264 A.D. the capital of the Mongol Empire of Kublai Khan; made the capital of the Ming Empire and built as it is today by Yung Lo in 1421; continued as the capital of the Chinese Empire through the Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties; and now a city which will live long in the memory of man as one of the greatest the world has ever known. Completed of this fifth day of February in the year of our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Thirty-six. With Explanatory booklet. By Frank Dorn, Peiping.

Lithographed & Published by The Peiyang Press, Ltd., Tientsin-Peiping, 1936.

8vo [181 x 132 mm] of (1) title-page, 22 pp. of explanatory text and a folded map in colors measuring 86 x 74 cm. Two small tears in the white margin of the map. Preserved in the original publisher's wrappers and slipcase.

Very rare first edition, complete with the folded map and the booklet, preserved in the publisher's illustrated folder.

Finely executed pictorial map of Beijing, published by Frank Dorn and the Peiyang Press. Ltd. of Tientsin and Peiping, in 1936.

Dorn's map is perhaps the best known and most iconic pictorial map of Beijing published in the 20th Century, offering a host of interesting ethnographic and iconographic information about Beijing and its environs, while retaining the whimsical qualities of the great pictorial maps of the first half the 20th Century.

Dorn's map is considered one of the great maps of the golden era of pictorial mapmaking.

The map is ringed with a series of cartoon vignettes illustrating the history of the city from ancient times to 1936. Dorn was a friend and admirer of the pictorial mapmaker Jo Mora (1876-1847), and was clearly influenced by Mora's style of combining accurate pictorial details, bright colors and a bit of whimsy, along with vignettes providing an illustrated history of the place.

The cartouche is decorated with names and dates of historical events and this legend in the center.

Frank Dorn was an artist, writer and military officer. Growing up in San Francisco, he attended the San Francisco Art Institute and became an accomplished cartoonist. After graduation from West Point, he was assigned a post in the Philippines, and as a side project wrote a book about a clan of tribal people he got to know there. An acquaintance of California artist Jo Mora, Dorn began making his own maps; an early one depicted Camp Strassenbourg in the Philippines.

While living in China, Dorn made his popular pictorial map of "Peiping". He later served in the field as advisor to a Chinese army. A fluent speaker of Chinese, Dorn's most important military role was in the China-Burma-India theater during World War II. There he served with Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army forces, General "Uncle Joe" Stilwell, during the Burma campaign from 1942 to 1944, and served as a commanding officer in 1944-45. A 1942 Life Magazine article about the Burma mission stated that, "Dorn, an artist, drew Stilwell's campaign maps."

Dorn eventually attained the rank of Brigadier-General and retired in 1953. He settled in Carmel, California, living what his friend John Thompson describes as "a semi-bohemian life, writing and painting. In the Sixties he did some amazing psychedelic paintings, wondered if he was the incarnation of a Buddhist painter, and held progressive civil rights and antiwar views." In the 1970s, Dorn authored two highly-regarded scholarly books on the Chinese and Burmese theaters of World War II.

A fascinating pictorial map of Beijing, drawn by an American officer who was a military attaché in China during the 1930s.

It features vignettes of Chinese history from 1100 BC to 1927 as well as modern tourist attractions including golf and race courses.

Hints to the political situation include the 'Kuomintang Headquarters'; and the German swastika and the Japanese 'Rising Sun' flags flying in the 'Legation Quarter', the year before the official start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937.

Frank Dorn (1901-81) was a graduate of West Point (where he picked up the life-long nickname of 'Pinky'), before being posted to Beijing in 1934 to help gather intelligence on Japanese aggression. He immersed himself in the language and culture of the city, researching the Forbidden City and collecting antiquities. When war with Japan broke out Dorn became chief-of-staff to L.t General Joseph Stilwell, with a rank of Colonel. At one point relations between the Americans and the leader of the Chinese Kuomintang, Chiang Kai-shek, were so bad that Dorn was ordered to prepare a plan to assassinate him. Although Dorn suggested giving Chiang a faulty parachute and sabotaging his plane authorization was never given.

The plan is packed full of wonderful illustrations, from the border that covers the city's history from its inception in 1100B.C., its numerous dynasties - including the 'decadant period under the Ch'Ings' - through to the revolution of 1911 and the movement of the capital to Nanking in 1927. Also to the borders are illustrations of a wedding and a funeral.

The plan itself not only shows all the historic landmarks, including the Forbidden City, and the Temple and Altar of Heaven but also the racecourse, zoo, old execution ground, and cocks fighting.

The color printed map is accompanied by a 22 page booklet which gives a potted history of the city together with a list of points of interest that are shown on the map.

Français

Lithographed & Published by The Peiyang Press, Ltd., Tientsin-Peiping, 1936.

In-8 de (1) f. de titre, 22 pp. de texte explicatif et carte repliée en couleurs de 86 x 74 cm. Deux petites déchirures dans la marge blanche de la carte. Conservé dans la brochure et dans l'étui d'origine.

Dimensions du livret : 181 x 132 mm.

Dimensions de la carte : 860 x 740 mm.

Très rare édition originale, complète de la très belle carte repliée de Pékin et du fascicule de présentation accompagnant la carte, le tout sous chemise illustrée d'éditeur.

La carte de Frank Dorn est sans doute la plus célèbre et la plus emblématique carte picturale de Pékin publiée au XXe siècle.

Elle offre une foule d'informations ethnographiques et iconographiques du plus haut intérêt sur Pékin et ses environs, tout en conservant les qualités fantaisistes des grandes cartes picturales de la première moitié du XXe siècle.

Elle présente une suite de vignettes illustrant l'histoire de la ville de Pékin aux temps anciens. La bordure de la carte regorge d'illustrations formidables qui retracent l'histoire de la ville depuis sa création en 1100 av. J.C., à travers ses nombreuses dynasties, jusqu'à la révolution de 1911 et le déplacement de la capitale à Nankin en 1927. Un mariage et un enterrement sont également représentés dans cette bordure. Le cartouche comporte d'ailleurs des noms et des dates d'événements historiques majeurs.

La carte ne montre pas seulement les lieux historiques comme la Cité interdite ou le Temple du Ciel mais aussi des attractions touristiques plus récentes comme l'hippodrome, le zoo, les combats de coq… Elle révèle également les occupations des habitants.

La carte de Dorn est considérée comme une des grandes cartes de l'âge d'or de la cartographie illustrée.

Frank Dorn (1901-81) était un ami et un admirateur du cartographe Jo Mora (1876-1947). Il a été clairement influencé par le style de Mora qui combinait l'illustration précise par des couleurs brillantes et un peu d'humour, avec des vignettes fournissant une histoire illustrée du lieu étudié. Frank Dorn est un artiste, auteur et officier militaire. En grandissant à San Francisco, il a étudié à la San Francisco Art Institute et est devenu un dessinateur accompli. Après l'obtention de son diplôme d'officier à West Point, il a été assigné à un poste aux Philippines. A côté de son travail militaire, il a écrit un livre sur les tribus autochtones qu'il a appris à connaître là-bas. Proche de Jo Mora, Dorn a commencé à faire ses propres cartes.

Plus tard, vivant en Chine, Dorn a réalisé sa carte illustrée de "Peiping" après s'être immergé dans la culture locale, faisant des recherches sur la cité interdite et accumulant des antiquités. Il a servi dans ce pays comme conseiller militaire de l'armée chinoise.

Pendant la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, il a été attaché au Chef d'Etat-Major Adjoint des Forces de l'Armée de Terre des États-Unis, le Général Stilwell, pendant la Campagne de Birmanie de 1942 à 1944. Un article de Life Magazine daté de 1942 a par ailleurs déclaré que "Dorn, un artiste, a dessiné les cartes de campagne de Stilwell." Dorn a finalement atteint le grade de Général de Brigade et est parti en retraite en 1953. Il s'est installé à Carmel, en Californie, vivant une semi-vie de bohème, écrivant et peignant. Dans les années 1960, il a réalisé quelques peintures psychédéliques étonnantes. Dans les années 1970, Dorn a écrit deux livres savants sur les théâtres chinois et birmans pendant la Deuxième Guerre mondiale.

La carte accompagne un fascicule de 22 pages qui retrace l'histoire de la ville et présente une liste des lieux et monuments représentés sur la carte.

Fascinante carte picturale de Pékin dessinée par un officier Américain envoyé en Chine dans les années 1930.