Postcards of Tokyo's Imperial Hotel, Circa 1910

It has been years since I shared any of my old postcards, and it's about time I let a few more out there for public view.  Today, I'm giving you a glimpse of 4 cards I have of the Imperial Hotel, in Tokyo, Japan:

They're all black and white, unpainted.  The first one has a stain on it.

I'm not sure if there were any more than these 4 in the set, though this envelope might have contained a few more.

I'll start sharing more historical postcards soon.

Postcards of the week: Sugar!

It's been a while since I shared any of these, so it's about time I dug some more out.  These historical postcards are pretty to look at, and I hope those of you who read the blog enjoy seeing these rare survivors from 100+ years ago.  As usual, these were hand-painted, as they pre-date modern color photography.

This week, I have a couple of postcards from Hawaii, and they involve the sugar cane industry.

The back text on this one reads: "This is a typical cane flume constructed throughout the Territory of Hawaii for transporting the sugar cane from the Highlands direct to the mill."

And finally,

"The main industry of the Hawaiian islands is the growing of sugar.  All about the islands on which Honolulu is situated are immense sugar plantations and some of the largest sugar mills in the world are within a few hours ride from Honolulu.  The science of the cultivation and the milling of sugar cane is nowhere in the world so high a degree as in these islands."

Postcards of the Week: Churches in Fort Wayne, Indiana, circa 1915

Today's postcards are from Fort Wayne around 1915.  The date is just an estimate, and they could be a bit older, though it's doubtful they're any younger than that.

First off, we have a view of the First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Clinton Street and Washington Street:

Here's another postcard of the same church, only a different distance. 

And here is the Wayne Street Methodist Episcopal Church:

Postcards of the week: Nara, Japan

Today I'm sharing five postcards from Nara, Japan, taken sometime during the first decade of the 20^th Century.  First up we have a look at Daibutsuden Temple:

Next is a look at Nigatsudo of Tdaiji Temple:

And here's a pagoda:

This is Sarusawa Pond:

And we wrap it up with a look at the Wakamiya Shinto Shrine:

Postcard of the Week: Japanese Schoolgirls

This week's antique postcard is from Japan, hand colored, from about 1910:

And as a bonus, here is a vintage postcard of a solitary Japanese lady:

Postcards of the Week: Drydock Dewey, Olongapo, Philippines

This week's postcards come from the Philippines around 1910.  They both show the floating drydock Dewey:

Caption: A cruiser in the monster Floating Dry Dock "Dewey" at Olongapo, Philippines.  This view will give an idea of the enormous size of the "Dewey."

You can see some ancient thumb prints on this postcard, left by someone long ago.  It is a hand-painted one, too.

This other postcard is a plain, uncolored photo.

As always, click the pics for a better view.

You can learn a little bit about the Dewey from its wikipedia article.

Postcards of the Week: Uyeno, Tokyo, Japan, 1910

This week’s postcards are from Tokyo, about 1910.  Here are a couple from Uyeno Park:

And here is the Pagoda of Uyeno:

Here’s Uyeno Hirokoji:

And we round out today with Toshogu Temple, Uyeno:

Postcard of the week: Chinaman at Meal

This week’s postcard comes from China, 100+ years ago.  This one is purely drawn, not a photo as most of the cards are.  It is entitled “Chinaman at meal.”

Postcards of the Week: Asakusa Park, Tokyo, Japan

Today I’ve got a couple of postcards from Asakusa Park in Tokyo, taken over 100 years ago:

And as a bonus, here is one of the original postcard wrappers.  I only have a few of these, as most were thrown away when the cards were purchased.  I expect that these envelopes are probably rarer than the cards, themselves.

Postcards of the week: Nunobiki Waterfall, Kobe, Japan

Here’s something from my Japan card collection.  It’s the Nunobiki Waterfall circa 1910.

I actually have two versions of this card, the above hand-painted photograph, and this black and white original:

They aren’t the exact same photograph, but they’re taken from a similar vantage point, likely minutes apart.  Whoever was shooting the photo took a few steps forward, allowing for a slight alteration in the perspective.

Additionally, I also have two different views of the waterfall, both colorized:

Postcard of the Week: Hawaiian Style

Here is one of many Hawaiian postcards 100+ years old in my collection.  It is in very nice condition, and lives inside a translucent paper sleeve.  It is hand-painted, as most of the color postcards in this collection are.

The reverse to this card is different than any of the others in my possession.  It is a bit fancier than the others, as many just have lines and a box for the postage stamp.  This back has some style, as well.

Postcards: Noge Hill, Yokohama, Japan

To kick off the last week of January, here are a few fascinating specimens from my postcard collection.  These are of Noge Hill, Yokohama, Japan.  It’s hard to find any information on this little suburb of Yokohama, and the best I could dig up on short notice via the internet is here, which gives a brief footnote of its post-WWII history and current status.  It would be interesting to see more of what it looks like today, and know if the temple is still there.

So, going back to the turn of the 20th Century, here are four views, mostly of the “Temple” area at Noge Hill.  These cards date circa 1900-1910:

Cherry Blossom at Noge Hill, Yokohama

Stone steps, Noge Hill, Yokohama

Noge Hill, Yokohama

Temple at Noge Hill, Yokohama

You may notice the coloring on these postcards. They pre-date color photography, and each one of these was hand painted.  They would take the black & white cards and color in different parts of them for this unique look.  I have quite a few unpainted, as well, which will be displayed as time goes by.

Postcard of the week: GE Lampworks 1914

For the foreseeable future, each week I will be sharing a scan of an “antique” postcard.  I have hundreds of these old things, most of them over 100 years old, many from India, Japan, Indonesia, and all over the pacific.  A few, like today’s example, are from here in the United States.

The value of these postcards are unknown.  I’ve never sought to appraise them, and I am really not interested in making a fast buck that way.  Most of these came from my father, and they’re little pieces of history which I intend to cling to, and pass on to my posterity.  The rarity of these postcards is also unknown, but it’s quite possible that some of these are unique, or among a handful of examples still surviving.

Today’s example is probably more common than most of the others in this collection.  It’s the Lamp Works of General Electric in Fort Wayne, Indiana, circa 1914: