Amy Oxley Wilkinson with the Boys’ Blind School Band, Fuzhou

Amy Oxley Wilkinson with the Boys’ Blind School Band, Fuzhou

Notes

University of Bristol - Historical Photographs of China reference number: JC-s384. The Australian Anglican nurse and missionary, Amy Oxley Wilkinson (1868-1949), founded the C.M.S. (Church Missionary Society) Blind Boys School in Fuzhou (Foochow). Wilkinson is playing the harmonium in this post card image. The school was at Dongdai (东岱), a village in Lianjiang (连江), near Fuzhou, Fujian and this photograph was probably taken at the school. In 1917, in recognition of her life's work, the Republic of China awarded Wilkinson the very rare Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain. Musical groups from the School for the Blind eventually began touring Fujian province, then to other parts of China, and finally to the UK. The school, which Wilkinson established in 1898 with a single student, is still operating, now moved to the city of Fuzhou. Further reading: ‘They Shall See His Face: The Story of Amy Oxley Wilkinson and Her Visionary Blind School in China’ by Linda and Robert Banks. Printed on the back of the post card: CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY, SALISBURY SQUARE, LONDON, E.C.4. See JC-s008, JC-s009, JC-s010, JC-s012, JC-s014 and JC-s273.

Caption on photograph

MEMBERS OF THE BAND, BOYS’ BLIND SCHOOL, FOOCHOW

Location

Fuzhou

Estimated Date

1930s

Material

Paper

Media

Black and white photograph

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