1876 Philadelphia Exhibition/Japanese Alphabet Calligraphy Presentation
Calligraphy presentation to Ethelbert Watts (1845-1919), from his "Japanese friend", dated December 6h, 1876, Philadelphia, USA; comprising a reference chart of Japanese characters and their corresponding sounds and numbers. Mr. Watts was a young civil war veteran and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania who turned heads at the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition with his highly touted 'portmanteau portable bath tub'; not quite as memorable as Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, or the Japanese exhibition of traditional homes and gardens, but still, a conversation starter. Presumably, the Japanese friend who made this document (Tanikadzu Tracatta?) was with the Japanese delegation to Philadelphia. This fascinating document was folded and pressed between books for decades; old repairs and tears, 14" x 17". From a Boston estate.
Calligraphy presentation to Ethelbert Watts (1845-1919), from his "Japanese friend", dated December 6h, 1876, Philadelphia, USA; comprising a reference chart of Japanese characters and their corresponding sounds and numbers. Mr. Watts was a young civil war veteran and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania who turned heads at the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition with his highly touted 'portmanteau portable bath tub'; not quite as memorable as Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, or the Japanese exhibition of traditional homes and gardens, but still, a conversation starter. Presumably, the Japanese friend who made this document (Tanikadzu Tracatta?) was with the Japanese delegation to Philadelphia. This fascinating document was folded and pressed between books for decades; old repairs and tears, 14" x 17". From a Boston estate.
Calligraphy presentation to Ethelbert Watts (1845-1919), from his "Japanese friend", dated December 6h, 1876, Philadelphia, USA; comprising a reference chart of Japanese characters and their corresponding sounds and numbers. Mr. Watts was a young civil war veteran and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania who turned heads at the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition with his highly touted 'portmanteau portable bath tub'; not quite as memorable as Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, or the Japanese exhibition of traditional homes and gardens, but still, a conversation starter. Presumably, the Japanese friend who made this document (Tanikadzu Tracatta?) was with the Japanese delegation to Philadelphia. This fascinating document was folded and pressed between books for decades; old repairs and tears, 14" x 17". From a Boston estate.