Henry Collen and the treaty of nanking

The year 1839 brought to the public's attention not only the new art of photography, but also the commercial value of the orient. The first of the ‘opium wars’ broke out between China and England over the Chinese seizure of illegal opium being traded by foreign merchants. The Chinese junks were no match for the oak and iron of the British navy, however, and hostilities were concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Nanking on 29th August 1842.