150
"An Interesting Feeling of Good Will and Confidence between our People and the Chinese”is
The 12 January 1861 issue of The Illustrated London News also contained three half-page illustrations based on sketches by "Our Special Artist": "Tartar Outpost Near Pekin,"19 "The China New Year': The Dragon Feast at Canton,"20 and "The China New Year': Woman Preparing Cakes." It also carried a full page group of six illustrations (based on photographs) of "Domestic Life in China."22 There are some paragraphs of narrative on most of these topics.
23
In articles early in their coverage, The Illustrated London News had already shown a degree of willingness to accept what it took to be the Chinese frame of reference, by humorously following the Chinese practice of referring to themselves as "Celestials" and everyone else as "Barbarians," as in the caption to the illustration, “A Crowd of Celestials Contemplating the Barbarians," mentioned above. The publication now began to indicate a desire to come closer to the Chinese people, making the point that an increased understanding of the Chinese people had been a by-product of the war itself: "Thanks to the enterprise of 'special artists' and 'our own correspondents'," present in China because of the hostilities, "much that was before obscure in Chinese manners and customs has been made plain."
124
The periodical compares Chinese and British habits in such a way as to stimulate bonding, and indicates interesting contrasts with no intention to repulse or ridicule.
A typical comparison is that made between the preparation of Chinese New Year cakes and the making of Christmas pudding: "The Chinese, who have many points in common with the English, have the same attachment to a kind of round cake as we have to a round plum pudding. A few days before New Year, friends (women, of course) will assemble and help each other in preparing the ingredients to form this article of diet, as they do in England to prepare the plum pudding."
The narrative26 on the six illustrations of family groups shown under the general title, "Domestic Life in China," does give explicit comment
150
"An Interesting Feeling of Good Will and Confidence between our People and the Chinese”is
The 12 January 1861 issue of The Illustrated London News also contained three half-page illustrations based on sketches by "Our Spe- cial Artist": "Tartar Outpost Near Pekin," 19" "The China New Year': The Dragon Feast at Canton," 20 and "The China New Year': Woman Preparing Cakes." It also carried a full page group of six illustrations (based on photographs) of "Domestic Life in China." 22 There are some paragraphs of narrative on most of these topics.
23
In articles early in their coverage, The Illustrated London News had already shown a degree of willingness to accept what it took to be the Chinese frame of reference, by humorously following the Chinese practice of referring to themselves as "Celestials" and ev- eryone else as "Barbarians," as in the caption to the illustration, “A Crowd of Celestials Contemplating the Barbarians," mentioned above. The publication now began to indicate a desire to come closer to the Chinese people, making the point that an increased under- standing of the Chinese people had been a by-product of the war itself: "Thanks to the enterprise of 'special artists' and 'our own correspondents'," present in China because of the hostilities, "much that was before obscure in Chinese manners and customs has been made plain."
"124
The periodical compares Chinese and British habits in such a way as to stimulate bonding, and indicates interesting contrasts with no in- tention to repulse or ridicule.
A typical comparison is that made between the preparation of Chi- nese New Year cakes and the making of Christmas pudding: "The Chinese, who have many points in common with the English, have the same attachment to a kind of round cake as we have to a round plumpudding [sic]. A few days before New Year, friends (women, of course) will assemble and help each other in preparing the ingredients to from this article of diet, as they do in England to prepare the plumpudding.'
The narrative26 on the six illustrations of family groups shown under the general title, "Domestic Life in China,"does give explicit comment
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