Page 104 - Collecting and Displaying China's Summer Palace in the West

“Chinese Gordon” and the Royal Engineers Museum 89
we were so pressed for time, that we could not plunder them carefully. Quantities
of gold ornaments were burnt, considered as brass. It was wretchedly demoralising
work for an army. 9

The 23rd Company was the first to return to the United Kingdom after the war had
ended, along with the spoils of war. It was Harrison who noted that the Company
10
reached England in May, 1861. The objects that they brought back with them would
have become symbols of victory and Britain’s hegemony. It is in this light that the
objects would have been interpreted when they first began to reside in museums.
Fortunately, the trend for displaying objects in this way has changed over the decades,
although it has not disappeared entirely.

The Royal Engineers Museum’s Display on Gordon and China

Gordon was a significant figure within Victorian society during his day, and is still
a much venerated figure within the Corps of Royal Engineers. The collective im -
pression of Gordon is that he was a hero, a man of the world, and a great leader.
After the Second Opium War ended, Gordon led the “Ever Victorious Army,” which
fought for the Qing dynasty in its efforts to quell the Taiping Rebellion. This army
consisted of Chinese soldiers led by Western officers. It was the first of its kind to
be trained in modern, Western military tactics and strategy and was better equipped
than previous Chinese armies. Under Gordon, this force was able to defeat the rebels
in several decisive engagements, which ultimately resulted in the collapse of the
rebellion. Gordon’s success in this campaign came with great awards and honors
from the Tongzhi emperor (r.1861–1875). The name the Chinese gave to Gordon
could be translated to “As welcome as the sun in winter.”
Gordon returned to Britain after China and commanded the Royal Engineers at
Gravesend between 1865 and 1871. After this he took on several different appoint -
ments before being made Governor-General of the Sudan twice (1877–1879 and
1884). It was in Khartoum (1885) that Gordon met unfortunate demise at the hand
of the Mahdist forces. 11 This event is very much part of the collective memory of the
Corps; his death in this fashion almost elevates his status to that of a martyr.
The popular concepts of who Gordon was very much prefigure the way in which
the objects that are associated with him are displayed at the RE Museum. The story
of Gordon is used to help illustrate some of the major campaigns of the Victorian
period. The museum holds a large amount of objects relating to Gordon, many of
which are on loan from Gordon’s School (427 items). 12 The presence of large
amounts of material culture related to Gordon means that a great deal of gallery
space is occupied by his adventures. Gordon’s presence in the galleries certainly dwarfs
that of any of the Corps’ other heroes.
The museum itself relocated to its current site and opened in 1987, although the
collection itself can trace its origins back to 1812. The Victorian Galleries are more
recent, having been redisplayed in 2001. The museum has six cases reflecting different
aspects of Gordon’s story. Three look at his time in China and three are situated
further along in the Victorian Galleries; these are themed on his time in Africa,
including his death. The first of the three China cases focuses on the Second Opium
13
War , and is the case that contains items that once resided in the Summer Palace.
This is usually the one that catches the visitor’s eye first. If one looks towards the