PFH1168564: China: Song Qingling (1892-1981), first female Chairman and President of the People's Republic of China, together with her future husband, Dr Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), founder of the Chinese Republic (1912) / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168582: China: A scene from the revolutionary ballet 'The Red Detachment of Women' which came to symbolise the formulaic art style of the Cultural Revolution / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168637: China: Chen Yi (August 26, 1901 - January 6, 1972), Chinese communist military commander and politician / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168654: China: Wu Zetian ( 624-705), Empress Regnant of the Zhou Dynasty (690-705). / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168727: China: A French expedition and porters cross a ravine in Yunnan Province, as sketched by Louis Delaporte in Febraury 1868. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168734: China: A French delegation and its caravan arrive in Nam-La in Yunnan Province in 1867, redrawn from an original sketch by Louis Delaporte. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168740: China: A drawing by Louis Delaporte of the French delegation and its entourage leaving the Yunnanese town of Tong-hai in snowy conditions in December 1867. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168809: China: Empress Xiao Ci Gao, consort of the 1st Ming Emperor Hongwu (r. 1368-1398) / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168819: China: Empress Xu, formally Empress Ren Xiao Wen (1362-1407), consort of the 3rd Ming Emperor Yongle (r. 1402-1424); with ladies in waiting at the Ming Court. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168823: China: Emperor Hongxi, 4th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1424-1425). / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168870: China: Empress Xiaoyizhuang, consort of the 13th Ming Emperor Longqing (r. 1567-1572). / Bridgeman Images

PFH1168944: Burma/ Myanmar: The hamlet of Yong, situated at a picturesque confluence of the Mekong River, as illustrated by French expeditioner Louis Delaporte in July 1867. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173078: Sudan: Female figurine, Nubia, c.3500 BCE / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173124: United Kingdom / Sudan / India: Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (1850 - 1916), pointing at the Tomb of the Mahdi, Omdurman, after he had ordered it blown up (1898) / Bridgeman Images

PFH1179515: China: Shanghai's Da Shijie or Great World entertainment centre in the 1930s / Bridgeman Images

PFH1179583: Japan: Detail of a byobu screen painting of namban (or nanban) 'Southern Barbarians' by Kano Naizen (1570-1616) / Bridgeman Images

PFH1179610: Iran / Persia: Negotation scene. Rashid al-Din, Jami al-Tawarikh, c. 1305 CE / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173252: Thailand: Yingluck Shinawatra (born 1967), Prime Minister of Thailand (2011- ) / Bridgeman Images

PFH1179657: USA: New Year's Day in Chinatown, New York, c. 1920 / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173314: Vietnam / USA: Robert McNamara (1916-2009), US Secretary of Defense during the Second Indochina War (1961-1968), Unknown photographer, (20th century) / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173349: Vietnam / France: The French ship 'Pluvier' engages the Vietnamese defences at Nam Dinh with her masthead-mounted revolving canon, 26 March 1883 / Bridgeman Images

PFH1169474: China: 'The Red Emperor of Trueness and Three Qi in the South' of the Daoist pantheon. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1169482: China: Xiwangmu, The Queen Mother of the West. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1169499: China: 'Hell Currency' - reverse of a Hell credit card complete with imitation magnetic strip and instructions: 'If found please return by burning this card'. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1179901: China: Vajrapani, Cave 3, Yulin Caves, Western Xia Dunasty (1038-1227) / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173617: Vietnam: 2nd Lieutenant Bossant, marine infantry, killed in action in the Battle of Bac Vie, 12 February 1885 / Bridgeman Images

PFH1180023: Southeast Asia: A UK (Scottish Geographical Magazine) map of Greater Indochina and the Malay Peninsula, 1886 / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173659: Vietnam: Dong Son plough, c. 500-100 BCE / Bridgeman Images

PFH1180042: Turkey: A portrait of Ottoman Sultan Ahmed II (r. 1703-1730). Anonymous, c. 1725 / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173697: Cuba: A study by Constantino Arias entitled 'Ugly American' showing an American tourist in 1950s Batista-era Cuba / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173828: Vietnam: John Paul Vann (1924-1972) relaxing in his office in Saigon, c. 1966 / Bridgeman Images

PFH1173870: Vietnam: Two USAF F-100D Super Sabre aircraft streaking over South Vietnam on their way to an assigned target (1967). The aircraft provided much of the tactical air support to Allied ground forces fighting in Vietnam. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1169536: China: Empress Cao (1016-1079), consort of Emperor Renzong, 4th ruler of the Song Dynasty (r.1022-1063). / Bridgeman Images

PFH1169664: China: Madame Zhu, a Chinese lady of rank, wearing official robes of the civil 8th rank with an oriole bird. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) portrait. / Bridgeman Images

PFH1169679: USA: Anna May Wong, Chinese-American movie star (1905-1961). / Bridgeman Images

PFH1169723: China: Emperor Shun (Yushun), fifth and last of the legendary 'Five Emperors' (c.2255-2205 BCE). Han Dynasty mural. / Bridgeman Images