Chests of Opium Being Hoisted Out of the Hold 1915

Black and white photograph of crew on the SS Namsang, Hong Kong, China. This picture is part of a series on opium production in Hong Kong This photograph shows officers and crew hoisting crate out of the hold. The SS Namsang was used to transport opium from India to Hong Kong. This photograph was taken in 1915, towards the end of the opium trade. The opium trade between Britain and China with was the result of two wars (1839-42 and 1856-60), and had a detrimental impact on the people of China where the drug was sold, and the people of India, where the drug was farmed.