Japan and China in the early 20th century
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008
Primary materials relating to Japan are a strength among our collections, but these materials are mainly textual. We have, relatively, much less pertaining to China, though in recent years, we have seen a notable increase in these holdings. In the last week, we’ve received a small group of photographs taken or purchased in Japan and China in the early 20th century by Lloyd Balderston, an American Quaker teacher of physics and chemistry, whose daughter, Esther, became a missionary in Japan. The photograph posted here depicts an aspect in the manufacture of white leather at Matsubaramura on the island of Honshu, ca. 1919. There is at least one other image of what Balderston called a "primitive industry" among the collection donated by Charles Lord. Lord has offered to donate more such images and we have been enthusiastic in accepting his offer.