OPEN TODAY: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.

A Print of a Chinese Theater in California: A Life History

Name: A Print of a Chinese Theater in California: A Life History | The Huntington
Start: Wed, Nov 12 2025
Location: The Huntington

Event

Join Nancy Yunhwa Rao, Board of Governors Professor of Music, Rutgers University, for the story of an engraved illustration of a glamorous Chinese theater in San Francisco from 1870.

Talks and Lectures

Originally published in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, the object gives rise to a series of questions. Who fashioned it? For whom was it intended? What kind of reaction did it elicit? What were its uses? How did it function as a social actor? What does it tell us about the four Chinese theaters in San Francisco between 1868 and 1879, as well as those in the nearby mining towns? This talk looks at the engraving as an object, placing it in multiple contexts, exploring its history, and linking it to sources old and new, such as news reports, digitization efforts, and museum exhibitions.

This is the Cheng Foundation Lecture and is part of The Huntington Research 2025-2026 "Active in the Archive" lecture series.

Know before you go

A post-lecture reception will take place in front of the lecture hall at the Rose Hills Foundation Garden Court at 7 p.m.
Doors to the lecture hall will open at 5:30 p.m.
If you are visiting the gardens during the day and plan to stay for the lecture, please note that all guests must clear the grounds when The Huntington closes at 5 p.m.

Image credit: Detail of Sacramento Theater … May 23d. One night only! Immense attraction! The Chinese Dramatic Company! … Mountain wizard … The great rebellion! … 1855. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

A Print of a Chinese Theater in California: A Life History

Know before you go

Opening Hours

Admission Info and Tickets