Colt machine gun, Siege of the foreign legations, Peking, 1900

Photograph, 3rd China War (Boxer Rebellion), 1900.

British and United States marines man a wheeled Colt machine gun on a makeshift rampart. Soldiers from eight nations were involved in the defence of the Legation Quarter of Peking from attacks by the Boxers. Diplomats, foreign civilians and Chinese Christians were under siege for 55 days.

From an album of 41 photographs probably taken by a student at the Hanlin Academy, Peking.