THE CHINESE COLLECTION, HYDE-PARK CORNER

Upon the left-hand side of the inclined plane, extending iron Hyde Park Corner to Knightsbridge, and towards the extremity of St. George's.-place, a grotesque erection has lately sprung up with all the cupidity which distinguishes the building operations of the present day.  As the work proceeded, many were the guesses at the purpose for which it was intended; and, to feed the suspense of the many thousands who daily pass this thoroughfare, the work was covered with canvas until just completed. The structure in question is the entrance to an extensive apartment filled with "curiosities of China." In design this entrance is characteristically Chinese, and is taken from the model of a summer residence now in the collection. It is of two stories, the veranda roof of the lower one being supported by vermilion-coloured columns, with pure white capitals, and over the doorway is inscribed, in Chinese characters, "Ten Thousand Chinese Things." Such summer-houses as the above are usual in the gardens of the wealthy, in the southern provinces of China, often standing in the midst of a sheet of water, and approached by bridges and sometimes they have mother-of- pearl windows. Although the above building in raised from the pathway, whence it is approached by a flight of steps, it is somewhat squatly proportioned. But such is the character of Chinese buildings, so that when the Emperor Kesen-king saw a perspective view of a street in Paris or London, he observed, "that territory must be very small whose inhabitants are obliged to pile their houses to the clouds;" and, in a poem on London, by a Chinese visitor, it is stated,-
    "The houses are so lofty that you may pluck the stars."
    The collection we are about to notice has been formed by an American gentleman, Mc. Nathan Dunn, who resided in China for a period of twelve years, and experienced more courtesy from the Chinese than generally falls to the lot of foreigners. Mr. Dunn was, moreover, assisted in his labours by Howqua, Tingqua, and other Hong merchants of note and who, in this instance, seemed to rise above the prejudices of their countrymen, in being most "willing to communicate." The design at first was merely to collect a few rare specimens for a private cabinet; but the appetite grew with what it fed upon, and thus Mr. Dunn has assembled what may, without exaggeration, be termed the Chinese world in miniature . . .

from The Illustrated London News, 1842

The Chinese Collection, near Wilton Place, Knightsbridge. -Among the numerous exhibitions in the metropolis, none will be found more interesting or attractive than the Chinese Collection, formed by its talented proprietor, Nathan Dunn, Esq., an American merchant of Philadelphia, who, during a residence of twelve years in Canton, expended a fortune in its compilation. The almost countless objects with which this vast and valuable collection abounds are exclusively Chinese, and surpass in extent and oriental grandeur any similar display in the known world. The spacious saloon, 240 feet in length, and 50 feet in width, contains what may not be inaptly described as a faithful representation of " China in miniature," being entirely filled with illustrations of the genius, government, history, literature, agriculture, arts, trade, manners, customs, and social life of the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire. As a prominent feature of this splendid exhibition, may be mentioned the numerous groups of figures, upwards of fifty in number, the size of life, modelled by native artists, and all portraits of individuals now living, habited in their appropriate costume, from the chief mandarin to the humblest subject of the empire; the whole exhibiting the general appearance, manners, and characteristics of a nation numbering probably three hundred millions. Our readers may rest assured that a visit to this museum will amply realize the most sanguine expectations, and convey to the British public a general knowledge of the resources, habits, manners, and capabilities of the very singular people to whom it refers: it is an exhibition of extraordinary beauty and interest, altogether unique In a word, an afternoon passed amid such curiosities will afford, even to the youthful and careless of inquiry, a more definite and permanent idea of these Tartar-governed millions than volumes of mere ordinary detail. The elaborately descriptive catalogue, written by Mr. Langdon, the curator of the exhibition, and illustrated by plates, will materially assist in the survey; it contains much useful information, and will greatly increase the interest of the visit. Open from 10 in the morning till 10 in the evening. Admission, 1s.; catalogue, 2s 6d. An abridgment of the latter may, however, be had for 1s.

Mogg's New Picture of London and Visitor's Guide to it Sights, 1844

THE CHINESE EXHIBITION. - This very curious collection was opened yesterday to the public, and was crowded for many hours with the masses of people returning from the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace. The collection, however, which occupies the space immediately to the west of Albert-gate, Knightsbridge, is of itself sufficiently attractive to draw all who feel interest in what relates to China, without any other aid to visit its contents. In addition to the many specimens, both natural and artificial, of the Celestial Empire, there is a Chinese family - a young lady, whose feet are of the most aristocratic proportions of her native country, and who is considered by those most capable of judging a perfect vocalist, according to the Chinese notion, of vocalism; a musical professor of the first rank, and two children, who are precocious in talent, and very amusing; an interpreter, and a lady's maid. This interesting group gave specimens of their powers to a crowded audience, and were very favourably received. The rooms in which the contents of the collection are distributed are well arranged. The arrangements for creature comforts of the visitors, under the management of Mr. Ellis, are equally good, and the place generally affords such accommodation as the public require.

The Times, May 2, 1851

THE CHINESE FAMILY

A PLEASING addition has been made to the Chinese Collection, consisting of a Chinese Lady, named Pwan-ye-Koo, with small lotus-feet only 2½inches in length, a Chinese professor of music, his two children (a boy and a girl), the femme de chambre of the lady, and an interpreter. The children are gay, lively, and intelligent, the lady herself agreeable and interesting, and the gentleman civil and obliging. A Chinese concert forms part of the entertainment: the lady Pwan-ye-Koo singing a Chinese air or two, accompanied by the professor, who likewise treats the public with an exhibition of his vocal powers. The group is one that has much to commend it: it is picturesque and peculiar, and presents an image in high relief of the native manners of a Chinese family. The conduct of the domestic blended the humble and the familiar in a significant manner; and there was an air of freedom, and a sense of mutual obligation manifested in the whole party, calculated to make a favourable impression on the spectator.

Illustrated London News, May 24, 1851

Also among daylight and respectable places of amusement of my youth were the Chinese Exhibition at the St. George's Gallery, Hyde Park, on the site where the "tap" of the Alexandra Hotel now is - an extraordinary collection of the details of Chinese life, with some admirable wax figures representing the different ranks and classes (a diorama of the Holy Land, a visit to which had a great effect on my life, as will be subsequently shown, was afterwards exhibited here), and the Chinese junk, a veritable Chinese vessel, manned by a Chinese crew, "without," as Dickens said, "a profile amongst the lot," which sailed from Hong-Kong and anchored in the Thames off gloomy Babylon. One of the petty officers of this junk, presenting himself at the ceremonial of the opening of the Great Exhibition in '51, with pigtail and national costume, and being mistaken for a grandee, was received with the greatest honour, and had one of the best places in the show.

Edmund Yates, His Recollections and Experiences, 1885
[chapter on 1847-1852]