Rare antique Japanese postcards discovered for sale in Krasnodar priced similarly to a car.
In a unique offering for history enthusiasts, a comprehensive collection of over 400 items from the Meiji and Taisho eras of Japan is up for grabs. The ads on the 'Avito' platform describe the collection as a treasure trove of postcards, bound in Leuchtturm albums, and original specimens from the Meiji and Taisho eras. The subject matter spans various aspects of early 20th-century Japanese life, including architecture, nature, cultural artifacts, and daily life. Many of these postcards bear postmarks with dates, enhancing their historical value. In addition to postcards, the collection also includes maps of Japan from the same period.
A different listing, reminiscent of sports history, recently surfaced on a free classifieds site. A football shirt signed by the 2008 Russia national football team was put up for sale in Krasnodar for 5 million rubles. It is noted that the autographs were obtained by the father of one of the players before the Netherlands-Russia match.
Moving to another sports icon, a hockey stick belonging to Russian legend Alexander Ovechkin is currently available for sale in Sochi.
For those interested in delving deeper into the historical context of these collections, it's useful to note that the Meiji era (1868-1912) was a period of significant modernization and cultural transformation in Japan, reflected in the postcards and maps from this period. The British Museum and the National Diet Library of Japan house substantial collections from this era, brimming with prints and other visual materials. During the Taisho era (1912-1926), Japan continued its modernization efforts, as evidenced by detailed and artistically rendered bird's-eye view maps from the period.
The Kumaichi Hiraoka Postcard Collection, housed at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Library, and the NDL Image Bank offer similar collections featuring postcards and other visual materials from pre-WWII Japan. For access to academic institutions' collections, the National Diet Library's resources and the University of Kansas's guide to Japanese E-Resources are valuable tools.
The Kumaichi Hiraoka Postcard Collection, a trove of visual materials from pre-WWII Japan housed at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Library, boasts an extensive collection similar to the one up for sale, showcasing the lifestyle and home-and-garden scenes of early 20th-century Japan. The National Diet Library's resources provide invaluable access to academic institutions' collections, including postcards, maps, prints, and other visual materials from the Meiji and Taisho eras, offering a comprehensive understanding of Japanese history and daily life during these periods.
