Tag Archives: tea clippers

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2023.8.1

Hardbacked edition of ‘A Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World’, by Erika Rappaport. Published in 2017 by Princeton University Press. 409pp with black and white photographs.

A Thirst for Empire takes a vast and in-depth historical look at how men and women – through the tea industry in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa – transformed global tastes and habits and in the process created our modern consumer society. […] An expansive and orginal global history of imperial tea, A Thirst for Empire demonstrates the ways that this fluid and powerful enterprise helped shape the contemporary world.’

2017.75.1

Framed oil painting of the tea-clipper ‘Taeping’, which was commanded by Captain Donald MacKinnon, Heanish (1827-1867), to victory in the Great China Tea Race of 1886. The painting was probably made in Hong Kong by artist Lai-Sung, who created many similar paintings of sailing ships during 1850-1885.

The two images are of the painting before and after restoration by Egan, Matthews & Rose, Dundee (© Egan, Matthews & Rose 2022).

2017.65.10

Framed oil painting of the tea-clipper ‘Demerara’ captained by Colin MacKinnon, Heanish, brother of Captain Donald MacKinnon, Heanish. Colin MacKinnon obtained his Master’s Certificate on 28 June 1860, after which he captained the Demerara from 1860 to 1863. In 1864, he became Captain of the Ellen Roger, on which he died on 7 September 1965. The painting was probably painted by Lai-Sung, Hong Kong, in the 1860s. The cracked and discoloured varnish appears to show ‘hidden’ Chinese characters.

Image © Egan, Matthews & Rose 2022

2017.46.1

Collection of fliers, information and letters about a presentation titled ‘Captain Donald MacKinnon, Clippers and the China Tea Trade’ given by Lloyd Pitcher in Australia on 7th March 2017. Captain Donald MacKinnon, Heanish, sailed the tea clipper ‘Taeping’ to victory in the Great China Tea Race of 1866.

2017.10.1

Printed information and photographs on CD documenting the repair and restoration of the wax portrait of Captain Donald MacKinnon, Heanish, in 2015. Captain MacKinnon sailed the tea clipper ‘Taeping’ to victory in the Great China Tea Race of 1866, and the portrait was made specially for him by his father-in-law to congratulate him in his achievment.

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2017.9.1

Dissertation on William Murray, Glasgow, Carver and Gilder (1796-1867) who created the wax portrait of Captain Donald MacKinnon, Heanish, which is held in An Iodhlann. Captain MacKinnon sailed the tea clipper ‘Taeping’ to victory in the Great China Tea Race of 1866. William Murray was the father of Captain MacKinnon’s wife, Margaret Anne Murray. See pages 20-22 regarding Captain MacKinnon.

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2016.51.1

Three original copies of Look and Learn magazine, 1967, containing an article about tea clippers ‘The Romance of the Clippers’, which includes reference to Captain Donald MacKinnon, Heanish, who sailed the ‘Taeping’ to victory in the Great China Tea Race of 1866. Accession includes an enlarged photocopy of the article.

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