Duke Kong with attendants in the garden of the Kong Mansion, Qufu. Photographed by Ah Fong. 1904. From the Stewart Lockhart Archive

LONDON.- The exhibition illustrates a period in Chinese history when the British leased some of the Shandong Province. Shandong Province is situated in the eastern part of China on the lower reaches of the Yellow River and overlooks the Korean Peninsula and the Japan Archipelago.

Shandong is considered one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Confucianism, founded by Confucius, the great thinker, educator and statesman, started here and is the pillar of traditional Chinese culture.

The photographs in this exhibition relate to two gentlemen who were the British Administrators in the territory. They were scholars of Chinese culture, and published books about China. They had an unusual degree of contact with the most important Chinese in the province. The exhibition gives a glimpse of these friendly meetings and formal exchange of gifts between the representatives of the two nations. Stewart Lockhart the Commissioner met Duke Kong, the direct descendent of Confucius, and was the first foreigner to be given a formal invitation to see the Temple of Confucius.

In exchange Duke Kong was given a framed coronation photograph of King Edward VII, which was paraded through the streets. Reginald Johnston was to become tutor to Puyi, the last emperor of China, and he spent many years in the Forbidden City - recording it all photographically.

The exhibition shows photographs of these and many other memorable historic occasions, telling first hand the story of China's relationship with the British during the very early part of the 20th century.

Reginald Johnston and Lo Zhongming in Qufu with the portrait of King Edward VII. Photographed by Ah Fong. 1904. From the Stewart Lockhart Archive.