Japanese Postcards

This collection consists of approximately 200 postcards dating from the late 1910's to early 1920's, which belonged to Edward S. Morse and were donated by him to the Peabody Essex Museum in 1921. For the most part, the cards seem to have been sent to him by the friends and colleagues he came to know during his three visits to Japan.

Many of the postcards depict famous Japanese cultural sites such as Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines, while others display natural landscapes, especially coastal and lake scenes. Some portray traditional Japanese customs or moments from everyday life. Several cards relate to Christian endeavors or projects in Japan, most notably the Sendai Christian Orphanage, which was founded in 1906 by Methodist missionaries. 

The postcards range in format from reproductions of prints by Japanese artists to black and white or colorized photographs; two postcards feature original oil paintings of sailboats traversing scenic harbors. Some of the cards contain correspondence, either in English or Japanese, but many have been left blank. Most of the postcards have their origins in either Kyoto, Tokyo, or Sado Island; however, some hail from locations outside of Japan, namely China.