Exterior of North Fort, Showing the English Entrance

Beato photographed the North Taku Fort shortly after its capture, creating a sequence of eight views in order to vividly re-create the event. A British military physician, Dr. David F. Rennie, recalled in his memoir of the campaign: "I passed into the fort, and a distressing scene of carnage disclosed itself. . . . Signor Beato was here in great excitement, characterising the group as 'beautiful, ' and begging that it might not be interfered with until perpetuated by his photographic apparatus, which was done a few minutes afterwards. "