Page 73 - A Time and A Place Catalogue, Jorge Welsh
P. 73
due to several floods that easily damaged them, Nevertheless, there are some paintings and The other plaque
the architectural changes of the buildings and, engravings dating to earlier than 1799 that show shows a view
most importantly, the national flags.4 When the American flag flying in front of the factories. of the Western
comparing this view with the previous entries, Recent studies, however, have suggested that the factories or hongs
apart from the presence of the Spanish and the flag was only added to these paintings to show in Canton, beside
American flag, the major difference is that the where the Americans stayed during their first the Pearl River,
British are now flying the Union Jack, adopted presence in Canton.6 A detail that allows us to date with six different
after 1800. The French tricolor flag, which is not this painting to sometime before 1810, is the size flags representing
depicted, was removed by 1803 and only hoisted of the British factory. In March 1810, the East India their respective
again in 1832. Regarding the American flag, there Company bought premises neighbouring the Dutch nationalities, namely
is some debate around when it was adopted. factory from the hong merchant Puankhequa, and Danish, Spanish,
In August 1799, Samuel Snow wrote about the from then onwards, a fence with about thirty- North American,
permission to hoist the American flag. seven metres existed, which is not visible in this Swedish, British
composition.7 Finally, it is known that in late 1804 and Dutch.
By their permission and approbation, I have and early 1805, the Danish commissioned repairs to
for the first time erected the American flag their factory, with the costs of this renovation being
in Canton. I took the opportunity of raising it recorded. In some later paintings, probably made
on President Adams (sic) birthday, 30th October, after this date, the façade of the Danish factory
and had the English company, Spanish, Danes, is different. Also, from 1807 to 1819, the Danish
Hong merchants, and all the Americans in port company did not send any ships to China, so their
to dine with me on the occasion [sic].5 flag was not present.8 →
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