Old photograph album, visit to Port Arthur 1905. China / Korea, letters, photos

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This album measures 15 inches by 9.75 inches. It has a cloth cover and silk cord fastenings. On the inside front cover is hand painted, by RM Gladstone, a 'Visit to Port Arthur, November 1905'. Pasted to this page is a Japanese war note, 50 Sen. The first page of the album holds a letter headed from H.I.J.M.'s Legation, Seoul, Corea (His Imperial Japanese Majesties), written in ink as follows: "Seoul, October 31 1905. Dear Sir John, With reference to the visit of Lieutenant Gladstone and two other gentlemen to Port Arthur I am directed to inform your Excellency that their visit will be allowed. The military authorities here wish to know roughly about when they intend to start from here so that they may arrange for the transportation of those gentlemen by a Japanese transport. Will your Excellency be good enough to ask them about the above point. Yours very respectfully, S. Furuya" (please see photographs for signature). A second letter on the following page with the same headed paper from Corea reads as follows: "Dear Mr Holmes, With reference to the intended visit of Lieutenant Gladstone and others to Port Arthur, we are now informed by the military authority here that there will be a transport 'Sumiyoshi Maru' (1,900 tonnes) leaving Chemulpo tomorrow for Jalienwan. One after that will be about on the 19th November. She is about a thousand tonnes but at that time Jalienwan will be in such great confusion that they may not be able to be attended so well as at present. The officer in the military headquarters here in charge of this matter is ... (see photos for characters). Trusting that you will inform those gentlemen of the above, Yours sincerely, S. Furuya" (please see photographs for signature). The following page of the album holds seven name cards, some with Japanese / Korean / Chinese characters only. Those with some English reads as follows: Lieutenant Hirota, Japanese Headquarters, Seoul; J.O. Matzmurar, Official Interpreter; Major General K. Pditti; and M Morimoto, Official Interpreter. The remainder of the album has large silver gelatin photographs each measuring approximately 8 inches by 6 inches. All are titled as follows: Chemulpo, Russian Cruiser Variag - the photo shows the ship some way from shore; Sung-Shu-shan Fort - the photo shows the fort in ruins having been shelled; Observation Hill, a Russian 6 inch Naval gun - the photo shows a captured Russian heavy gun amongst some debris; Observation Hill, a Russian Naval gun - the photo also shows a captured Russian gun with a Japanese soldier standing guard; The Harbour, Port Arthur, from 203 Metre Hill; Sung-Shu-Shan Fort, The Last Effort - the photo shows ruins; East Chiah-Kuran-Shan, A Good Hit - the photo shows the remains of a heavy Russian artillery gun; The next photo is not titled but shows a large gun station with a Japanese soldier manning its machinery. All around the gun shows debris of war. The Harbour, Port Arthur - the photo shows a gunboat wreck sunk in the shallow waters. Other boats can be seen in the harbour and buildings and hills behind; Ehr-Lung-Shan Fort, a Naval Gun - this shows gun placement and a soldier; The last photograph shows a busy scene and is titled 'Niuchuang, troops embarking for home' - the photograph shows many smaller boats in the harbour and the town behind. On the harbour side columns of troops march in formation. At the end of the album there are two laid down documents, one in pink with Japanese characters titled a game licence of Japan, and the remaining document is titled a permit to visit the captured battleship 'Orel' after the Battle of Tsushima at Maizura. This document is printed on cream paper with red edging and has the names of the visitors being SP Gladstone, RM Gladstone, 3rd Yorkshire Regiment, with the place for them to be admitted being Orel at Maizura .This photograph album is one from a collection of photographs and albums I am listing collect... read more

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