Photograph Albums [Five] Of Tour Of Japan And China With Focus On Hydro-Electric Power Plants [General Electric Interest] Also Hawaii, Geisha, Kyoto, Tokyo, Tokyo Electrotechnical Laboratory, Shanghai, Cross Dressing, Shanghai (W. W. Lewis, J. E. Clem, R. Mitsuda) Photograph Albums - Scrapbooks

A collection of five photo albums (dated 1922-1925) of an extended tour of Japan and China. American electrical engineers from General Electric visiting their Japanese counterparts and the hydro-electric power plants of Japan. Exquisite photos of early 1920's Japanese and Chinese culture, people, landscape and historical architecture. Five albums: Printed cloth over hard boards. Bound with ribbon. Heavy wheat colored cloth depicting a diagonal repeating scene of a colorful medieval procession; Japanese calligraphy is repeated throughout the print. All albums have slight fading on front cover; back cover retains original coloring in cloth pattern: black lettering and outlined figures in colored dress: crimson, teal, and blue on wheat colored fabric of a tight weave. All books show some wearing on edges to cloth cover (some fraying, and some corners bare of cloth); otherwise in excellent condition.* (Japan Book II has detached back cover). Two large 14" x 10.5" albums: ("Japan" albums I & II); two smaller 11.25" x 8.5" albums: ("China" albums I & II); and one 10.5" x 7" album: ("Power Plants 1922-1925"). Black and white photographs mounted on blank black leaves and captioned in a neat hand. The photographs are in excellent condition, beautifully photographed and composed, and expertly developed. Album: "Japan Book I" (1922) total of 178 black & white photographs ranging in size from 2 " x 3 " to 5 " x 3 . The album includes photographs of these locations: Hawaii, Waikiki Beach; Yokohama Harbor; Kamakura (shrines, including The Great Buddha of Kamakura); Kyoto; Lake Biwa; Kiso River; Mt. Fuji; Miyaoshita; and Osaka. Numerous photos of Japanese in traditional dress including numerous examples of Geisha; as well as peasants in traditional dress. Many posed and candid photos of people at work. Excellent documentation of clothing both formal and every day, including footwear and head dressing; vehicles, cars, bicycles, handcarts, ships, traditional Japanese fishing sailboats, fishing vessels, etc. Photographs of the 1922 "Gion Matsuri" - the festival of Yasaka Shrine, is the most famous festival in Japan, including photos of the giant floats. Excellent photos of architecture and landscape; many photos of cormorant fishing (River Nagara); Geisha tea ceremony and dancing; Book 1 contains numerous photos of the Empress of Canada, the British ship that will help with the rescue after the 1923 earthquake and tsunami which devastates Japan (photos of the aftermath of the earthquake are contained in "Japan Book II"). Album: "Japan Book II" (1922-1923) total of 124 black & white photographs ranging in size from 2 " x 3 " to 4"x3" to 8"x10". *detached back cover. Also: a 24" fold-out map from a publication: "Mt. Fuji from the Five Lakes;" 11 Christmas Card Postcards (writing on back but all glued in) and numerous other post cards: 12 from hotels. Includes scenes of Kyoto; Yokohama; Tokyo; Mount Fuji and Nikko; Photo subjects include: historic architecture; temples, traditional Japanese home life including sleeping quarters; street scenes; rice patties; and rice threshing; peasants at work; domestic scenes; a sumo wrestler; and wealthy Japanese in both western and traditional clothing. Several photos captioned with the names of all in the photo including one from 1922 at Tokyo's famed "Maple Club" (Koyokan); as well as the members of the Tokyo Electrotechnical Laboratory (1922) headed my R. Mitsuda (who figures prominently in this album). Photos of Waseda University campus and numerous photos of Dr. R. Mitsuda of the Imperial Electrotechnical Bureau of Tokyo. Also in this album: Photographs taken in the immediate aftermath of the September 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Book 2 becomes more personal in nature in the final pages - pictures are from various cameras, dates, and types of photograph; including more family groups such as the "Kikuchi Family" (1960); the family of "R. Mitsuta" (fully captioned with names and relationships; taken in Japa