Photograph album of the Manchukuo Imperial Army by M. Asano.
c. 1938 to 1950. Cardboard Covers. An unusual photo album filled with b&w pre-WWII Manchukuo Imperial Army photographs most likely from Northern China or Manchuria to 1950 shots in Japan. Images are primarily casual snapshots of army buddies with their dogs, military groups at attention and in formation, some formal photos of military leaders, some of a Japanese home, a 4 shot series of Geisha girls posing outside with 'bubble captions' overhead in Japanese, a splitback postcard of Public Park Ohmotodani, Itsukushima, a studio photo of a woman and two children in formal Japanese dress, a snapshot of a young Japanese woman in Western clothing, then the same woman in Japanese dress, a used postcard of an Asian female dance troupe in coordinating dress holding hands with a sign 'go MACUS.SHOW" behind them. Interestingly, the album cover is titled in pen in English, "Photographs. Belongs to M. Asano" There was a Col. Asano Takashi part of the Manchukuo Imperial Army in 1936, so possibly this was a relation.
7 x 9 3/4", paper board covers taped at one long edge as binding. Paper pages with primarily tipped in casual snapshots, postcards, a few formal photos, varying in size 3.25 x 2.5" (8), 4.25 x 3" (5), 5.75 x 4.5" (14), 6.25 x 4.5 (1). Covers dusty, spine chipped but holding, interior pages some torn, some photos detached but present. Photos in very good condition. Front cover has printed WWI German battle scene illustration laid down, last interior page has a similar illustration. 25 photo pages out of 44 pp total. An interesting perspective of the Japanese military in Northern China. Good + overall. Item #23952
Price: $325.00