Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing South Korea, Section of City Outside Wall in Seoul.

About this Item

Title

  • South Korea, Section of City Outside Wall in Seoul.

Summary

  • This image, showing a view of a section of Seoul, Korea that is located outside the defensive stone wall, is one of 43 photographs of Korea taken by George Clayton Foulk between 1883 and 1886 and held at the American Geographical Society Library at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Foulk's note on the image reads: "Northwest section of Seoul outside the wall, view taken east of south gate." Foulk was a young naval officer who served as a U.S. diplomat in Korea in the 1880s. He was first sent to the country in 1883 with a Korean delegation as the only person in U.S. government service qualified to serve as an interpreter. He was not fluent in Korean, but he communicated in Japanese and quickly picked up the Korean language. Upon his arrival in Korea, Foulk undertook a 900-mile (1,450-kilometer) journey through the country by sedan chair. During this trip he kept a detailed journal and took photographs. Foulk's trip was cut short by the unsuccessful coup d'état in the Korean capital in December 1884. Many of Foulk's photos were destroyed during the rioting and the confused scramble for his own safety. Foulk remained in Korea as an administrator and later a naval attaché. His friendship with King Sunjong, a member of the royal family (and Emperor of Korea from 1907--10), allowed him daily visits with the king and unique opportunities to photograph Korean life. Foulk left Korea in 1887 and spent his last days in Japan as a professor of mathematics at the missionary-run Doshisha College (Doshisha University). He died in 1893, at the age of 37, while hiking with his Japanese wife and friends.

Names

  • Foulk, George Clayton, 1856-1893 Photographer.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [1884 to 1885]

Headings

  • -  Republic of Korea--Seoul
  • -  1884 to 1885
  • -  Cities and towns
  • -  City walls
  • -  Forts and fortifications
  • -  Mountains
  • -  Trees

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 photographic print ; 8.5 x 5.5 inches.
  • -  Original resource at: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • American Geographical Society Library Digital Photo Archive, Asia and Middle East

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021670697

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Foulk, George Clayton, Photographer. South Korea, Section of City Outside Wall in Seoul. Republic of Korea Seoul, 1884. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1885] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670697/.

APA citation style:

Foulk, G. C. (1884) South Korea, Section of City Outside Wall in Seoul. Republic of Korea Seoul, 1884. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1885] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670697/.

MLA citation style:

Foulk, George Clayton, Photographer. South Korea, Section of City Outside Wall in Seoul. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1885] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021670697/>.