AN archive of silver and rare photographs depicting life and death in Shanghai during the early 1900s has fetched £7,110 at auction in Lichfield.
The collection of around 600 images was brought back from China by a Birmingham man who abandoned a safe job as a postie at home to become a detective 6,000 miles away.
Albert Henry Aiers joined Shanghai Municipal Police aged 18 in 1902 and worked his way up over 37 years before retiring with the honorary rank of Assistant Commissioner on January 30 1939.
The Shanghai Municipal Police governed the settlement from 1854 to 1943. During his tenure, Albert – or Bert, as he was known – battled opium gangs, robbers and violent civil unrest.
The photographs and silver items presented to him during his career made £7,110 at the Richard Winterton Auctioneers sale.
Auctioneer Richard Winterton said:
“The photographs really brought to life the dangerous streets of Shanghai in the early 1900s.
“The items of silver brought an extra dimension to this impressive collection, which generated a well-deserved total at auction.”
