French donor’s photos on War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression authenticated as 1930s–50s originals; images now permanently archived in a Shanghai memorial hall   2025-08-06

Courtesy of Chinese Embassy in France

The Chinese Embassy in France held a handover ceremony on Monday local time for the historical photos taken during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, according to a release posted on the Wechat account of the Embassy on Tuesday. 

Frenchman Marcus Detrez donated 618 historical photos collected by his grandfather, Roger-Pierre Laurens, to the Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall for the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, said the release. Upon examination, the photos were found to be gelatin silver black-and-white prints, developed in the 1930s to 1950s. 

Minister Chen Dong of the embassy met with Marcus and other individuals involved in a special handover ceremony. During the meeting, Chen presented Marcus with a donation certificate and a letter of appreciation issued by the Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall for the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. 

Among the images, a large number of photos are related to the Songhu Battle, offering diverse perspectives on one of the earliest and bloodiest battles of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The Shanghai Songhu Battle Memorial Hall has accepted the collection into its permanent archive, according to a Xinhua report. 

Authorities in Shanghai's Baoshan District told the local media the Paper that they have confirmed the 618 historical photos recently donated by Marcus to the Shanghai Songhu Battle Memorial Hall for the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression are genuine vintage images, ruling out any possibility of forgery, according to the media report on Tuesday. 

"The authentication results have been submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The photos are indeed old and were verified by a professional institution," a local official told The Paper. "However, the identity of the photographer remains unconfirmed, and due to the large volume of material, further research is required on a case-by-case basis."

In a recent interview, Marcus expressed his deep sense of purpose behind donating over 600 rare photographs about War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to China. "These photos don't just belong to my family—they belong to history," Marcus said. "I hope that by donating them, more Westerners, especially young people, can learn about this dark chapter of the past," according to media reports. 

In February, Marcus traveled to China with the intent to donate this collection of photographs taken and preserved by his grandfather. During the 1930s, his grandfather recorded with a camera the Japanese aerial bombings in Shanghai and the massacre of Chinese civilians, among other atrocities. 

Many of the prints carry handwritten notes on the back, and some reportedly bear traces of blood, further underscoring their historical significance, the media reports said. 

However, shortly after Marcus announced the donation, some online commentators questioned the authenticity of certain images. Independent researchers claimed that a few of the photos Marcus released had appeared elsewhere online with different attributed authors, sparking controversy on social media.

In response, on February 28, Marcus's team posted a video via the account "Friends of Songjie," stating: "All the photographs submitted to the memorial museum are original prints inherited from Laurence [Marcus' grandfather]. They are not reprints downloaded from the internet," media reports said. 

Source: Global Times