Joseph Needham : NW - Northwest journey

Needham, Joseph.

Joseph Needham

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Photographs taken by Joseph Needham on the long expedition to the northwest from Chungking (Chongqing) 重慶市 to Djiayukuan (Jiayuguan) 嘉峪關 in Kansu (Gansu) Province 甘肅省 and back, via Chengtu (Chengdu) 成都市, Lanchow (Lanzhou) 蘭州市 and many other places. Note that on this journey he travelled beyond Djiayuguan to the Buddhist caves at Chienfotung (Qianfodong) 千佛洞 near Tunhuang (Dunhuang) 敦煌 in Kansu, the photographs for which are in CFT. The Northwest journey was undertaken from 7th August – 14th December 1943, but there are a few photographs taken before and after the journey on rolls NW2 and NW6. For details of the full route and the persons who accompanied him, see the North-west journal (<a href='/view/MS-NRI-00002-00005-00012-00001'> (NRI2/5/12/1)</a>). The films and their photographs were not originally labelled in strict chronological order. Some sections of the negatives have not been developed because there are no images on the negative or because any images present are far too severely damaged or indistinct.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>These images are also available to view in date order <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='http://www.nri.cam.ac.uk/JN_wartime_photos/nw.htm'>here</a>. Dr. Needham records this journey in his journal (<a href='/view/MS-NRI-00002-00005-00012-00001'> (NRI2/5/12/1)</a>). A typescript of his report to the British Embassy on the trip can be viewed <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='http://www.nri.cam.ac.uk/wartime_extras/Needham_Northwest_Journey_Report.pdf'>here</a>, and a full itinerary here.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Further information and resources are available about Needham's time in China from 1943-1946 as Director of the Sino-British Science Cooperation Office <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='http://www.nri.cam.ac.uk/JN_wartime.htm'>here</a>.</p>