The Chinese Junk "Keying"–Captain Kellett–As she appeared in New York harbour July 13th, 1847–212 days from Canton.–720 tons burthen 1847

Editor: This is "The Chinese Junk 'Keying'," a lithograph from 1847 by Nathaniel Currier, depicting the ship in New York Harbor. The title itself is quite a mouthful! I’m struck by the detail and the juxtaposition of the Chinese junk with what appears to be an American flag flying proudly. It feels almost like a collision of cultures, what are your initial thoughts? Curator: Indeed! It's as if Currier captured a moment of impossible encounter. To me, this isn’t simply a picture of a boat, it’s a portal. Imagine the gasp of 1847 New Yorkers seeing this vessel – a floating, breathing chunk of Canton arriving after 212 days at sea. Notice how the sharpness of detail slowly dissolves towards the horizon. This gives us a sharp view but also offers us the mystery that these visitors embodied. It makes me wonder how their visit reshaped views on China for a brief moment in time. Don't you think? Editor: That’s such a rich image, like a real-life fairytale unfolding! The way you describe it makes me think of Orientalism. It's beautiful, but was the reality perhaps… more complicated? Curator: Precisely. Currier was trying to capture the wonder, a romantic vision of this "exotic" vessel but undoubtedly it was rooted in existing power dynamics, of Western gaze romanticising distant cultures. But art does that: it holds these contradictions, prompting us to unravel the stories within. Editor: So, it's both a historical document and a reflection of Western perception, tangled up in one print? I hadn't thought of it that way before! Curator: Exactly. Isn't it delightful how one image can hold so much? Editor: Absolutely. It definitely gave me something to consider.