James Hope Grant was a professional soldier who served in most of the major campaigns in China and India of his day. Between 1839 and 1842 he fought in the Opium War when the British took possession of Hong Kong. This photograph was taken during the 1860 campaign when he led a combined French and British force to 'encourage' the Emperor of China to recognise his European trading treaties. Felice Beato arrived in China for the taking of Peking (Beijing) and photographed the general with the mud of the battlefield still on his boots in a makeshift studio.