33 Items (mounted gelatin silver prints with hand-written captions)
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
China
Date:
1925-1932
Scope and Contents:
A hand-made album titled "FTL" (For The Love), of photographs of Benjamin March's marriage to Dorothy Rowe in 1925 in Nanjing. Other photographs include images of Hangzhou and Suzhou during their honeymoon; images of their life in Beijing; portraits of March as a curator in Detroit; a portrait of Dorothy reading to their young daughter Judy, and group photographs of extended family. Also includes four poems by Dorothy Rowe.
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
1 Photographic album (Bound album with 21 gelatin silver prints with hand-written captions. One photograph is hand-tinted., Accordian album)
Type:
Archival materials
Photographic albums
Photograph albums
Place:
Japan
Japan -- Description and Travel
Date:
Undated
Scope and Contents:
A large-format album of photographs of Benjamin March's travels in Japan in 1923, 1925 and 1931.
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
8 Items (gelatin silver prints with handwritten captions)
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
Japan
Japan -- Description and Travel
Date:
Undated
Scope and Contents:
Portions of a disassembled accordion album with 7 photographs. Includes various photographs of March's acquaintances in China and Japan. Depicted: March in Beijing; Staff at Yenching University; a party in Kyoto; entertainers in Beijing.
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
144 Items (gelatin silver prints with typed captions)
Container:
Box 4, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
China
Beijing (China)
China -- Description and Travel
Date:
1923-1925
Scope and Contents note:
"The Oriental Chronicles of Benjamin in Pictures." Cloth covered, bound. 6 ¼" x 9 ½". 1923-1925. 144 prints, captioned and dated. Autumn 1923 to April 1925. Depicted: Paotingfu; Hopei; Hopei University; Boxer's temple; Kuang Tso Ling; Chihli; Wei Ts'Un.
Scope and Contents:
The second of a four part series of hand-made photo albums depicting March's travel to and life in China. Locations include: Baoding, Hebei University; Boxer Temple.
Photo album: "The Oriental Chronicles of Benjamin in Pictures,"
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
96 Items (gelatin silver prints with typed captions)
Container:
Box 5, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
China
Beijing (China)
China -- Description and Travel
Date:
1924
Scope and Contents note:
"The Oriental Chronicles of Benjamin in Pictures." Cloth covered, 6 ½" x 9 ¾". 96 images captioned and dated, February to June 1924. Black and white photographs affixed to pages. Depicted: Lintsing, Shantung, Tsinanfu, T'ang Shan, Peking, T'aianfu, Ch'ufu, pagodas, temples.
Scope and Contents:
The third of a four part series of hand-made photo albums depicting March's travel to and life in China. Locations include: Depicted: Linzing, Shandong, Tang Shan, Beijing, pagodas and temples.
Photo album: "The Oriental Chronicles of Benjamin in Pictures,"
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
188 Items (gelatin silver prints with typed captions)
Container:
Box 5, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
Japan
Japan -- Description and Travel
Date:
1924
Scope and Contents note:
"The Oriental Chronicles of Benjamin in Pictures. Benjamin with Alfred E. Willett in Japan, July - August, 1924." 6 ½" x 9 ¾". 188 black and white photographs, affixed to pages, captioned and dated. Depicted: Osaka, Kyoto, Karuizawa, Nikko, Boshu, Kiyosumi, Fuji.
Scope and Contents:
The fourth of a fourth part series of hand-made photo albums depicting March's travel to and life in China. This album focuses on his travel to Japan with friend Alfred E. Willett from July to August, 1924.
Photo album: "The Oriental Chronicles of Benjamin in Pictures,"
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
114 Items (gelatin silver prints mounted on pages with typed captions in a three-ring binder)
Container:
Box 6, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
Japan
Japan -- Description and Travel
Date:
[1924-1925.]
1924-1925
Scope and Contents note:
Binding removed. 6 ¾" x 9 ¾". Feb 1924 - May 1925. 114 images, black and white, affixed to pages, some with dates and captions. Includes photographs of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Ferguson, Peking, Ming Tombs.
Scope and Contents:
An album of various views of Beijing, including images of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Ferguson and the Ming Tombs.
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
1 Photographic album (with 68 gelatin silver prints mounted on pages, some with typed captions)
Container:
Box 9, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Photographic albums
Photograph albums
Place:
China
Beijing (China)
Date:
1925-1926
Scope and Contents note:
"Benjamin March". 6 ½" x 9 ½", cloth covered, binding removed. 68 photographs, black and white, affixed to pages. Some captioned and dated. Depicted: Dorothy March; March residence; Benjamin March.
Scope and Contents:
Album of photographs, mostly in Beijing taken by Benjamin March of the Marchs' home, with Dorothy and their dogs.
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
91 Gelatin silver prints (Album , mounted on paper in a 3 ring binder)
Container:
Box 10, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Gelatin silver prints
Photograph albums
Place:
China
Nara (Japan)
China -- Description and Travel
Beijing (China)
Date:
1926
Scope and Contents note:
91 photographs, black and white. Captioned and dated, Summer 1926. Pages have been removed from the binder, original pagination maintained. Depicted: Temple court, Rowe family, Hei-lung T'ang, Nara, Temple court.
Scope and Contents:
Photographs taken in and around Beijing in Summer of 1926. Also includes 9 photographs taken in Nara Japan.
1926年相册。1926年，夏天。照片91张 。描述：寺院、羅家族、奈良寺院。
Photo album
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
47 Items (gelatin silver prints mounted on loose pages with wooden covers)
Container:
Box 11, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
China
Beijing (China)
China -- Description and Travel
Date:
undated
1926, 1927
bulk 1923-1934
1923-1927
Scope and Contents note:
"Dorothy and Benjamin March." Wood cover. 6" x 9 ½". 47 photographs, black and white, affixed to pages. Some captioned in Chinese. Depicted: art objects, architecture.
Scope and Contents:
Photographs of Beijing monuments and scenes taken by Benjamin March in the 1920s. Some of the prints appear to be commercial sourced. Also includes an unmounted print of a boat on a river.
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
1 Photographic album (Bound album with 20 mounted gelatin silver prints with hand printed captions. Two photographs are hand-tinted., Accordian album)
Container:
Box 12, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Photographic albums
Photograph albums
Place:
China
China -- Description and Travel
Date:
undated
Scope and Contents note:
Cloth covered. 10" x 12". 20 photographs, black and white, 2 hand colored, affixed to pages. Captioned. Depicted: Lintsing Pagoda; Tsinanfu, Lung Tang; Peking; Temple of Heaven; Great Wall of China; Ta Ch'ing River; Paotingfu; T'ang Shan; Kaoyang; New Year's morning in the Tung Yueh Miao.
Scope and Contents:
Large format photographic prints by Benjamin March of scenes of China, mostly around Beijing and Baoding. Also includes a photographic reproduction of a painting by Qiu Ying.
未注日期的相册，照片20张。中国内地遊行記念
Photo album
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
21 Items (mounted gelatin silver prints with hand-written captions)
Container:
Box 12, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
Japan
Japan -- Description and Travel
Date:
undated
Scope and Contents note:
9 ½" x 12". 21 photographs, black and white, affixed to page, captioned. Depicted: M. Miya: tea master; Mataichi-an; Yenching; Tiger Pines of Peiping; Temple of the Prosperous Year; Pi Yun Sso; T'ang.
Scope and Contents:
Larg format artistic photographic prints by Benjamin March, mostly taken in China amd Japan.
未注日期的相册，照片21张。描述：虎北平的松树；繁荣之年寺、 碧雲寺
Photo album
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
182 Items (typed unbound pages with solid wood covers)
Container:
Box 1, Folder 9
Type:
Archival materials
Diaries
Place:
China
Beijing (China)
China -- Description and Travel
Date:
1925-1926
Scope and Contents note:
Binding removed, 9 ½" x 6". 182 pages. First entry, 30 June 1925. Last entry, 13 March 1926. Inscribed, "The Memoirs of MA". Wood cover. In the introduction, March wrote, "Chronicles of Benjamin" had, for three years, served as a journal, notebook, and record for himself of places he visited. Said that since he's now not alone that it is fitting to rename his notes, "Memoirs of MA." (Chinese name of his family). ["Chronicles of Benjamin" may be found in Series V, subseries B, photo albums.]
Scope and Contents:
A diary typed by the young Chinese art scholar Benjamin March from June 1925 to March 1926 describing his life in China. Events include March's marriage to the author Dorothy Rowe (1898-1969) in Nanjing, their honeymoon in Hangzhou and Suzhou, and their subsequent life in Beijing. March describes hikes through scenic areas in Hangzhou and Beijing; his acquaintance with scholars such as John Calvin Ferguson and Alan Priest; attending performances by Ruth St. Denis and Mei Lanfang, and his work at Yenching University.
The Memoirs of Ma
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
Inscribed, "The Oriental Chronicles of Benjamin in Pictures." 144 images, captioned. Black and white photographs affixed to scrapbook pages. Cloth covered, bound. 6" x 10". Photos document March's travels to China and while in China. Depicted: Canadian Rockies, passenger ship, Tokyo market scenes, Peitaiho, Peking, Paotingfu, Kao Yang.
Scope and Contents:
The first of a four part series of hand-made photo albums depicting March's travel to and life in China. Locations and events include: the Canadian Rockies, ship passage across the Pacific, Tokyo market scenes, Beidaihe, Beijing, Baoding and Gaoyang.
Photo album: "The Oriental Chronicles of Benjamin in Pictures."
Biographical / Historical:
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
22 Items (gelatin silver prints with inked captions)
Container:
Box 7, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
China
Date:
1924- 1927
1924-1927
Scope and Contents note:
"When Home Was China." Inscribed with a poem from D.R. [Dorothy Rowe] to B.F.M. [Benjamin March] Cloth covered. 10" x 12". 22 prints, inscribed and most dated and affixed to pages. Depicted: Western tombs of Ch'ing Emperors; Chieh T'ai Ssu; the Great Wall of China; Nankow; Gate of Liukuochiao; Marco Polo Bridge; Pi Yun Ssu; Jade Fountain Park; Wo Fo Ssu; Chihli Village; Dakini; Lohan.
Scope and Contents:
Various large format prints of highlights from March's photographs in China. Also contains a poem by Dorothy Rowe.
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
86 Items (mounted gelatin silver prints with typed captions in a 3-ring binder)
Container:
Box 8, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
China
Beijing (China)
China -- Description and Travel
Date:
1926
1924-1926, undated
bulk 1926-1926
1924-1926
Scope and Contents note:
"1926". 86 prints, black and white, affixed to pages. Removed from photo album, album retained, original pagination maintained. Depicted: Rowe family; Hsiang Shan; Pi-yun Sgu; Pai-chia T'an; Mou Shih K'Ou; Liang Ke Chuang; Yuan-ming Yuan; the Great Wall of China; Kuan Ti shrine; Ta-chueh Ssu; Heil-lung T'ang; Peking; Jade Fountain Park.
Scope and Contents:
Photographs taken by Benjamin March in and around Beijing between 1924 and 1926.
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
135 Items (gelatin silver prints mounted on pages with typed captions)
Container:
Box 9, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
China
China -- Description and Travel
Nanjing (Jiangsu Sheng, China)
Suzhou Shi (Jiangsu Sheng, China)
Shanghai (China)
Date:
1925
Scope and Contents note:
"Summer 1925" (on cover). Verso label, "Dorothy and Benjamin March." 6 ½" x 9 ½", cloth covered and bound. 119 photographs. Black and white photographs, affixed to pages, all captioned and dated, 30 June 1925 to August 1925. Includes the March's wedding portraits; Nanking; Hangchou; Soochow; Kiukiang; the Yangtse; Wuhu.
Scope and Contents:
Bound album of photographs depicting the wedding of Benjamin March and Dorothy Rowe in Nanjing and their subsequent honeymoon in Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. Also include photographs of Guling summer retreat with the Rowe family and the John C. Ferguson. Includes a later additon of seprated pages of photographs and ephemera from the wedding.
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
258 Items (gelatin silver prints mounted on unbound pages with handwritten captions)
Container:
Box 11, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Place:
Japan
United Kingdom
Paris (France)
China
China -- Description and Travel
Beijing (China)
Date:
1931
Scope and Contents note:
"Shu-Chai in Search of Shung-Chu. Wayward Records of a Trip Eastward Around the World from Detroit, 15 April 1931 to Detroit, 17 October 1931." 7 ½" x 9". 258 photographs, black and white photographs, affixed to page, dated and captioned. Photographs taken during March's trip around the world. Binding removed, original pagination maintained. Depicted: SS American Trader; Surrey, England; Paris; Berlin; F.E. Schmitt; M.O. Berube; the Colonial Exposition in Paris; Peiping; Dr. John C. Ferguson; Ferguson residence in Peiping; Benjamin March; 86 Nan Ch'In Tzu; Celestin Liu; Dr. Otto Burchard; Mrs. Otto Burchard; Larry Mayer; J. Leighton Stuart; Yenching; Lucius Porter; the Forbidden City; Temple of Heaven; Wan Shou Shan; Y.C. Fu; H.H. Fu; Mei Lan-Fang; Hsiang Fei; She-Kee; Chiyozaki; tea ceremony; Kyoto.
Scope and Contents:
Subtitled, "Wayward Records of a Trip Eastward Around the World from Detroit, 15 April 1931 to Detroit, 17 October 1931." An album of photographs taken by Benjamin March doing travel and research. Locations are primarily in and around Beijing, but also include travel in Japan, the UK and France. People depicted include Dr. John C. Ferguson; F; Celestin Liu; Dr. Otto Burchard; Larry Mayer; J. Leighton Stuart; Lucius Porter; Y.C. Fu; H.H. Fu; Mei Lanfang, Xu Fengqiu and Wang Xiuying. Includes rare photographs of John C. Ferguson's home; Mei Lanfang's garden; and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
East Asian art historian, curator and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. March was East Asian art lecturer at the University of Michigan, and curator of Asian art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
Writer, curator, and professor Benjamin Franklin March Jr. (1899-1934) studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and in China, and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. His papers, dating from 1923 to 1934, document his professional and personal life in the United States and in China and include lecture notes and outlines; research notes; diaries; scrapbooks; and photographs.
Scope and Content Note:
The Benjamin March Papers span the years 1923 to 1934 and measure 15 linear feet. The collection includes: biographical data included in passports, obituaries, and fifty-seven condolence letters; lecture and course outlines; research notes; four diaries; one scrapbook; four illustrations including sketches for the March bookplate; fourteen photograph albums; printed matter; and 100 personal and artistic photographs.
Arrangement note:
The collection is divided into the following series:
Series 1: Biographical Information, 1927-1935
Series 2: Diaries, 1925-1934
Series 3: Writings and Research Materials, 1927-1934, undated
— Subseries 3.1: Lecture Materials
— Subseries 3.2: Research
— Subseries 3.3: Printed Matter
Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1924-1934
Series 5: Graphic Materials, 1925, 1933, undated
— Subseries 5.1: Illustrations
— Subseries 5.2: Photo Albums
— Subseries 5.3: Photographs
Biographical Information:
Biographical Sketch
1899 -- Born, Chicago, IL. Son of Benjamin Franklin and Isabel (née McNeal)
[1917?] -- Attended Lewis Institute and the YMCA College before transferring to the University of Chicago
1918-1919 -- Military service, Sergeant, Field Remount Squadron, No. 305, Army Service Corps
1922 -- Graduated from the University of Chicago (Ph.B)
1922-1923 -- Attended the Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY
1923-1925 -- Teacher of English, Latin, and Bible Studies at Hopei University; the Second Normal School; and the YMCA in Paotingfu, China
1925 June 25 -- Married Dorothy Rowe in Nanking, China
1925-1927 -- English instructor; Librarian; and Lecturer in Chinese Art, Yenching University Peiping, China
1927, summer -- Lecturer on Chinese art Columbia University
1927-1931 -- Curator of Asiatic Art Detroit Institute of Arts
1928 -- Honorary Curator of Oriental Aesthetic Art at the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1928 -- Appointed honorary curator at the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
[1929?] -- Daughter (Judith) born
1929 -- China and Japan in Our Museums, published by the American Council, Institute of Pacific Relations
1931 -- Spent six months in China under a special grant from the American Council of Learned Societies to study 13th century painter, Ch'ien Hsuan
1932 -- Curator, Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1932 -- Appointed honorary curator at the Detroit Institute of Arts
1933 -- Awarded a Freer Fellowship
1934 -- Standards of Pottery Description, published by the University of Michigan Press
1934, summer -- Organized, directed, and lectured at a summer session of the Institute of Asiatic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley
1934 December -- Died at home in Ann Arbor, Michigan after a five-week illness (heart ailment)
Far Eastern art writer, curator, and lecturer, Benjamin Franklin March Jr., was born in Chicago on July 4, 1899 to Benjamin and Isabel March. He studied, lectured, and wrote in the United States and China and through his works gained respect as one of the foremost authorities on Chinese art during the 1920s and 1930s. Although he lived only thirty-five years, Benjamin March was a respected and influential scholar of Asian art.
After high school, March attended the Lewis Institute and the YMCA College before transferring to the University of Chicago from which he graduated in 1922 (Ph.B). With thoughts of becoming a Methodist minister, March enrolled at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. At the same time, March enrolled in art classes at the Metropolitan Museum. After one year at the seminary, March was presented with and accepted the opportunity to work in China. From 1923 to 1927, March resided in China where he taught and lectured at colleges. Initially, March taught English, Latin, and Bible Studies at Hopei University, the Second Normal School, and the YMCA. From 1925 to 1927, he worked at Yenching University in Peiping (now Peking) as an instructor in English, a librarian, and lecturer in Chinese art.
While in China, March met Dorothy Rowe, the daughter of a Methodist missionary stationed in Nanking. On June 25, 1925 the two were married. Ms. Rowe, whom March sometimes called Doré, had lived in China since infancy. The author of the children's story, "The Begging Dear," Rowe wrote children's stories with Chinese settings.
During the summer of 1927, the March's moved to the United States when Columbia University offered March an appointment as lecturer of Chinese Art. Later that year March was appointed curator of Asiatic art at the Detroit Institute of Arts. He remained at the Detroit Institute of Arts in this capacity until 1931. In 1928, March was appointed Honorary Curator of Oriental Aesthetic Art by the University of Michigan's Museum of Anthropology. The next year, Dorothy March gave birth to the couple's only child, Judith.
During this period March published extensively, including two publications, China and Japan in Our Museums, in 1929 and, Standards of Pottery Description, in 1934. In the latter, March developed a new technique for the scientific study of the materials and methods of manufacture of ancient Chinese pottery. ( Ann Arbor Daily News. -- "Death Takes Noted Curator". -- December 14, 1934)
In 1931, March received a grant from the American Council of Learned Societies. This grant allowed March the opportunity to travel to China and Europe to study the 13th century painter, Ch'ien Hsuan. In 1932, March was named a curator at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. The following year he was named a Freer Fellow. The summer of 1934 found March in Berkeley, California, organizing and directing the Institute of Asiatic Studies at the University of California. During the fall of 1934, March fell ill with a heart ailment. He was ill for five weeks before he died, at the age of 35, in December of 1934. At the time of his death, Benjamin March was survived by his wife Dorothy and their daughter, Judith.
Related Collections:
The Detroit Institute of Arts maintains administrative correspondence and files generated by Benjamin March during his tenure as curator.
The Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan houses the Benjamin Franklin March drawings collection, This is a collection of drawings by March for his daughter; includes illustrated poems of Pentwater Beach, Michigan.
Provenance:
Judith March Davis, the daughter of Benjamin March, donated her father's papers to the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives in 1995.
Benjamin March's daughter, Judith March Davis, donated her father's papers to the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives in 1995.
Benjamin March Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Judith March Davis, 1995
