7 1/4 x 9 1/4 in. (sight) silver gelatin photograph, matted and framed, 15 1/2 x 17 in. (very good condition, not examined outside frame). 

The photograph shows First Lady Pat Nixon and President Richard Nixon seated with Chinese Premier Chou En-lai (Zhou Enlai) at the Premier's guest house. Autographed "Richard Nixon" near center, above President Nixon. 

When President Nixon entered office, the United States had not had any formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China since 1949 when the Communist Party under the leadership of Mao Zedong won China's civil war. Nixon's decision to visit China in 1972 and open discussions between the two nations captivated the world and became one of the defining moments of his presidency.