1903 Rare 1st Edition – China: Past and Present by Edward Harper Parker – WWII US Army GHQ / Japanese Language & Area Course Provenance 1903年首版/GHQ駐日美軍情報庫舊藏《願爾中興》愛德華·帕克著

An exceptional and historic copy of the 1903 First Edition of China: Past and Present by renowned British sinologist and former consul Edward Harper Parker, published in London by Chapman & Hall, Ld.

This comprehensive turn-of-the-century work provides deep historical, economic, social, and geopolitical insights into late-Qing dynasty China, covering critical events such as the Boxer Rebellion, imperial government structure, trade, opium, and foreign spheres of influence.

Unique Features & Provenance:

 Complete Edition: Includes the large folding map (General Map of 18 Provinces and Bordering Territory, to Illustrate Trade Centres, reduced from Dr. E. Bretschneider's Map).

 WWII / Occupation-Era US Army GHQ Provenance: Stamped on inner boards with "PROPERTY OF US ARMY CHINA FAST DET" and features original library call cards and pockets from the "Japanese Language and Area Course Library / TIS, GHQ" (Translation and Intelligence Center / General Headquarters, Tokyo).

📜 Historical Significance

 Late Qing & Boxer Rebellion History: Written right after the Boxer Protocol (1901) by a seasoned diplomat and Professor of Chinese at Owens College, Manchester. Parker provides firsthand observations on China’s taxation, revenue receipts, mandarin hierarchy, and international relations.

 Cold War & US Intelligence Artifact: The library card and stamps demonstrate that this volume was directly used post-WWII by the U.S. Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Tokyo to train U.S. military intelligence officers and linguists focusing on East Asian affairs.

🔍 Condition Report

 Binding & Cover: Original burgundy cloth with bright gold gilt title on the cover and spine, accompanied by bold Chinese characters ("願爾中興"). Mild shelf wear along edges and corners; spine intact and square.

 Interior & Pages: Text block clean and square. Light, age-appropriate foxing/toning on endpapers and title page. Folding map is clean with crisp folds.

 Provenance Markings: Contains authentic US Army seals, library checkout sleeve, accession slips, and classification marks.

 Overall Grade: Very Good (VG+) with exceptional historical provenance.

本書為 1903 年由倫敦 Chapman & Hall 出版 的 《China: Past and Present》（中國的過去與現在，封面中文標題為《願爾中興》）第一版古籍。作者愛德華·哈珀·帕克（Edward Harper Parker）為前英國駐華領事、著名漢學家及曼徹斯特歐文斯學院中文教授。

本書全面且系統地記錄了庚子事變（義和團運動）前後晚清帝國的政治體制、財政稅收、社會風俗、鴉片貿易及列強外交爭端。

本冊特色與稀有藏家來源（Provenance）：

完整附圖： 附有完整未損的大型拉頁地圖《中國十八省及邊疆貿易中心全圖》（General Map of 18 Provinces and Bordering Territory）。

二戰後 GHQ 駐日美軍情報機關舊藏： 扉頁蓋有 "PROPERTY OF US ARMY CHINA FAST DET" 印章，並完整保留 "Japanese Language and Area Course Library / TIS, GHQ"（東京 GHQ 盟軍總司令部翻譯與情報中心／陸軍語言學校）之原始借書口袋、借書卡與分類標籤。

晚清庚子後第一手史料： 出版於《辛丑條約》簽署後不久，帕克憑藉其多年的領事生涯與漢學功底，提供了極具價值的晚清各省財政稅收數據（如釐金、鹽稅、海關稅）及官僚體制分析。

 二戰後冷戰東亞情報史見證： 本書在二戰結束後被東京 GHQ（盟軍總司令部）美軍陸軍情報部門納為軍事教材，用於培訓二戰後美軍東亞情報人員與語言官，具備書籍史與軍事情報史的雙重收藏價值。

🔍 中文書況說明

 封皮裝訂（Binding）： 原廠棗紅色布面精裝，正面與書脊壓印燙金英文書名及醒目的黑體中文「願爾中興」四字。封皮邊角有些許歲月痕跡，書脊完整堅固。

 內頁與地圖（Interior & Maps）： 內頁自然氧化微黃，帶有些許時代斑點（Foxing）。拉頁大地圖摺痕清晰完整、無破損。

 標記狀況（Markings）： 保留完整二戰後美軍 GHQ 印章、圖書館分類卡與借書袋。

 整體評級： 良好至極佳（Very Good +），帶有極高特殊來源價值的軍事與東亞史收藏級品相。