James Avent was a Standard Oil executive based in China from 1919 until 1949. Son of noted artist Mayna Treanor Avent, James arrived in China shortly after World War I and, apart from a the interregnum of World War II, lived there with his family until 1949 when the nationalist government fell to the communists.
China during his time there was undergoing radical transformation. Avent, due to him being a representative for Western energy company during this transformative time, was in a privileged position when traveling across much of China meeting leaders and commoners alike and capturing what he saw in photographs and movies. He would cross paths with Chiang Kai Shek and other warlords, commoners, famed American military commanders such as Dudley “Mush” Morton, and future diplomats such as James Lilley.
The purpose of this web archive is to provide access to anyone who might have interest in China during this time.
