The Office of Augustine Heard and Company, Hong Kong, c. 1860
Hong Kong
Artist unknown
Oil on canvas

When American merchant Augustine Heard established his company in 1840 with friends Joseph Coolidge and George Basil Dixwell, the trading firm grew rapidly. In 1857, the business relocated its headquarters from Canton to Hong Kong and eventually expanded its operations, opening offices in Fuzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai, and Amoy (Xiamen).

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, M17297, gift of Mr. William A. Parker