Up for online sale is an extraordinary, museum-grade piece of international naval history: an original 1908 Japanese postcard documenting the historic visit of President Theodore Roosevelt’s "Great White Fleet" to Tokyo Bay.
Front Design: Functions as an incredibly detailed tactical anchorage map and naval recognition guide. The top and right margins detail the individual silhouettes and names (penned in period katakana) of all 16 American battleships, including the USS Missouri, Connecticut, Georgia, and New Jersey. The bottom and left margins track the Imperial Japanese Navy welcome fleet, including the legendary battleship Mikasa. The central schematic maps out the precise harbor mooring lines in Yokohama.
The Official Welcome Cancel: The reverse features an exceptionally crisp, unposted layout struck with the highly desirable purple official commemorative anchor cancel issued by the Japanese government. The bilingual stamp reads: "THE COMMEMORATION OF WELCOME THE AMERICAN FLEETS / 米國艦隊歓迎記念 横濱" and is explicitly dated 41.10.17 (October 17, 1908 / Meiji 41).
Condition: Very good antique condition. Remarkable structural integrity for a 115+ year old card. Shows bright, unsmudged ink pigments on the front grid and a wonderfully dark, clear strike on the purple anchor cancel. Displays light edge wear, natural paper foxing spots on the reverse, and minor corner rubbing. Please review the high-resolution scans for an exact look.