Please note this lot includes graphic images.

SHANGHAI MASSACRE OF APRIL 12 1927. A collection of 48 snapshots probably taken during the Shanghai Massacre of April 1927 or its aftermath. 25 of the photographs show decapitation or torture. On 12th April 1927 forces supporting General Chiang Kai-Shek undertook a violent purge of the Chinese Communist Party. Thousands of party members were rounded up and executed. Many were publically beheaded and the decapitated bodies left in the street as a warning to others, as shown in the photographs. The Shanghai Masssacre was a pivotal moment in the Chinese Revolution and the following years saw a nationwide purge of communists and anti-communist violence which became known as the 'White Terror.' The photgraphs were taken by Lionel Glover Jupp (1877-1951) who worked in Tiensin and Shanghai for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. Jupp was very involved in theatricals and was a composer of music and ballet. He wrote the ballet 'Enchanted Princess' and was an active freemason. Images showing decapitated bodies have not been shown.