Images taken by British engineer travelling across 20th Century Asia

Pictured: Remarkable images taken by British engineer and preacher who travelled across Asia in early 20th Century

• William Leach arrived in the Far East in 1902 and stayed there for about 24 years
• He rarely went anywhere without his camera, taking photos of the exotic scenes

A remarkable collection of over 2,000 photos taken by a British traveller in early 20th century China have come to light.

Engineer William Leach, who was also a lay preacher, arrived in the Far East in 1902 and stayed there for 24 years, working in Shanghai where he used the city as a base to explore the vast country and neighbouring Korea, Japan and Mongolia.

William rarely went anywhere without his camera, taking photos of the exotic scenes and people going about their everyday lives.

His group were treated like celebrities, possibly as the locals had not encountered Westerners before, and one of them was asked to hold a Mongolian baby.

Photos of China show bustling street scenes and farmers working the land, as well as candid shots of the native population.

A remarkable collection of over 2,000 photos taken by British traveller William Leach in early 20th century China have come to light

The engineer and lay preacher he arrived in the Far East in 1902 and stayed there for 24 years, working in Shanghai where he used the city as a base to explore the vast country and neighbouring Korea, Japan and Mongolia

Another image shows one of the group looking onwards at cattle while they make their way along the busy road, while another shows bustling street scenes and locals working the land.

William returned to Britain in 1926 with a fascinating array of images, which he kept hold off until he died in 1962.

The archive has remained in his family for six decades and is now being sold by a descendant with Lay’s Auctioneers, of Penzance, Cornwall.

They had been gathering dust in several boxes in an attic and had not been touched for decades.

The archive’s breadth and quality has been described as ‘astonishing’ and the images could sell for tens of thousands of pounds.

Another image shows one of the group looking onwards at cattle while they make their way along the busy road, while another shows bustling street scenes and locals working the land.

Snapshots of early 1900s architecture in China showcases the traditional roofing on top of a large building at the centre of what looks like an alleyway.

An amusing sequence of photos shows his car stuck in a grassy ditch during his travels with a group of Western friends in remote Mongolia.

His vehicle was pulled free by bullocks and one of his friends raises his hands in celebration.

 Snapshots of early 1900s architecture in China showcases the traditional roofing on top of a large building at the centre of what looks like an alleyway

An amusing sequence of photos shows his car stuck in a grassy ditch during his travels with a group of Western friends in remote Mongolia

William rarely went anywhere without his camera, taking photos of the exotic scenes and people going about their everyday lives

Photos of China show bustling street scenes and farmers working the land, as well as candid shots of the native population

The archive has remained in his family for six decades and is now being sold by a descendant with Lay’s Auctioneers, of Penzance, Cornwall, taking place on March 9

Leach was born in Norwich, Norfolk, but spent his later life in Northampton, where he was a councillor and lay preacher

Darren Ashley, Lay’s Asian expert, said: ‘The quantity and quality of the images, the breadth of content, is quite astonishing.

‘I’ve never handled anything like it.

‘Every packet of photos that I’ve looked at is wonderful and then you open another, and another, and they’re all marvellous, fascinating images.’

Leach was born in Norwich, Norfolk, but spent his later life in Northampton, where he was a councillor and lay preacher.

The sale takes place on March 9.

Source: Read Full Article