The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of November 4, 2026

A horizontally oriented hand-colored albumen print depicts a man with medium skin tone in profile facing right. He wears a blue tunic and dark trousers. Balancing a long, curved wooden pole across his shoulders, he carries a wooden chair frame on our left. On our right, he holds a large, spoked wooden wheel. He stands barefoot on ground covered in scattered dry straw against a dark, solid background.

Ingenious Device

c. 1860
photographer

William Thomas Saunders

(British, 1832–1892)
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Albumen print, hand-colored
Image: 20.2 x 25.8 cm (7 15/16 x 10 3/16 in.); Mount: 29.6 x 41.7 cm (11 5/8 x 16 7/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2026.71
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Lai Fong was the preeminent Chinese photographer of the 19th century.

Description

Lai was a talented photographer and shrewd businessman who operated a studio in Hong Kong called Afong Studio. He competed successfully with British and European competitors, perhaps because, as he advertised, his catalogue of views of China were “larger, choicer, and more complete…than any other in the Empire.” He provided an insider’s look at the modernization and other changes brought to China by trade and war with Western nations.
  • -October 8, 2026
    Stephan Loewentheil, New York, NY, sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art
    October 8, 2026-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Ingenious Device|url=false|author=William Thomas Saunders|year=c. 1860|access-date=04 November 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2026.71