Discovering China Through Aerial Photography at the Dawn of the 20th-Century

In 1901, three officers from the 1st French Engineer Regiment photographed Beijing and Tianjin from tethered balloons, capturing aerial views—the first ever taken in China. Their work was not limited to these images: they also photographed the imperial palaces, foreign concessions, monuments, and scenes of daily life. Two albums containing 128 and 165 prints, respectively, feature these images, most of which are reproduced in *La Chine à terre et en ballon*, a book published by Berger-Levrault in 1902. The pages, extensively hand-captioned, also preserve personal photographs and views not included in the publication. This endeavor was part of a major episode in the history of relations between China and the Western powers. Beginning in 1899, the Boxer Rebellion—hostile to foreign presence and Christian missions—spread to the north of the country. In June 1900, the siege of the foreign legations in Beijing prompted the intervention of a coalition of eight powers: France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, the United States, Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary. Allied troops entered the capital in August, then continued