These opium smokers in Java are all skin and bones – an
indication of addiction. In 1906, the world’s production of
opium had reached the astronomical height of more than 41,000
metric tonnes. In comparison, the worldwide production a hundred
years later was a fifth of that – 6,610 metric tonnes in 2006.
All that opium had to be consumed somewhere, and by the late
19th century, opium dens had sprung up in major capitals around
the world, such as London, San Francisco, New York, Paris and
many others. Smoking opium was the “in” thing to do, but the
standards of the opium dens frequented varied widely, as we will
see. Wealthier smokers like these three in China could afford
better surroundings and a place to lie down that was off the
ground. Without wishing to advocate the consumption of opium or
to glorify the environment surrounding it, it's fair to say that
the opium culture is fascinating and historically unlike any
other. Steven Martin, the author of The Art of Opium Antiques
and founder of the Opium Museu