Developing Mission: Photography, Filmmaking, and American Missionaries in Modern China

Joseph W. Ho's book Developing Mission provides a transnational cultural history of US and Chinese communities framed by missionary lenses, tracing the lives and afterlives of images, cameras, and visual imaginations from before the Second Sino-Japanese War through the first years of the People's Republic of China. Missionary photography shaped popular understandings of and formal foreign policy toward China, and portable photographic technologies changed the nature of missionary experience.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 324 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2022
Publisher: Cornell University Press

In his groundbreaking work, Developing Mission, Joseph W. Ho presents a comprehensive transnational cultural history of the US and Chinese communities, intricately woven through the lenses of missionary endeavors across time and space. Spanning from the pre-Second Sino-Japanese War era to the early years of the People's Republic of China, Ho delves into the lives and legacies of images, cameras, and visual imaginations, tracing their profound impact on both societies.

As American Protestant and Catholic missionaries ventured into interwar China, they carried cameras in their hands, driven by a dual mission of soul conversion and modernization for East Asia. However, the captivating still and moving images they captured transformed these missions into quasi-anthropological endeavors, shaping public perceptions and influencing official foreign policies toward China. The advent of portable photographic technologies revolutionized the very nature of missionary experiences, allowing them to document and share their encounters with a broader audience. Moreover, the images circulated between China and the United States played a significant role in shaping cross-cultural interactions during times of peace and war.

Through his meticulous research, Ho illuminates the central role of visual practices in the American missionary enterprise in modern China. He explores how intersecting modernities and shifting Sino-US relations have profoundly impacted the lives of individuals both behind and in front of the cameras. Developing Mission serves as a remarkable reconstruction of the nearly forgotten histories of transnational image makers, subjects, and viewers across twentieth-century China and the United States.

This captivating work not only sheds light on the cultural exchange and mutual influences between these two nations but also highlights the enduring power of visual storytelling to bridge gaps, challenge stereotypes, and foster understanding. It is a testament to the profound impact of cross-cultural interactions on shaping the world we live in today.

Weight: 498g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501761850