Description:

19th Century Travel
Middlesex, England, November 1, 1894
1890s Travel! 8pp ALS on Tour of Japan & San Francisco, Mentions "Jews & Cripples" Living There
ALS

An 8pp letter from one Arthur Jefferson of England describing a tour of Japan and the United States, Middlesex, England, November 1, 1894. Together with its original mailing envelope addressed to Joseph Earle Stevens, an American merchant in the Philippines. Measuring 4.5" x 7". Exhibits expected age toning and scattered handling marks; moderate letter folds at middle. Envelope open at right side. Overall, very good with interesting commentary.

Within, Jefferson describes a voyage to Japan from San Francisco, where he comments on notable cities of the Kanto region including Tokyo and Yokohama. He then travels back to California, where he notes the "number of Jews & cripples" in San Francisco.

Excerpts include:

- Page 4: "we had two clear days at Yokohama… & accordingly I went to Tokio [sic]… To a casual observer Tokio most forcibly brings home the trust of the old truth of the old epigram that friend Jap is 'great in small things & small in great ones'. The only at all imposing building that I saw was the Russian church- which occupies by far the finest site in the town- The ordinary Jap street is a mere collection of dog-kennels, while the temples are merely slightly glorified pigeon-cotes, on the other hand the carving etc. in these same kennels & pigeon cotes are for the most part in exquisite taste & beautifully executed (but as [illegible] remarke a nation who for centuries has written & deciphered the 10,000 odd ideographs the Japs- & Chinese too for that matter- we, must of necessity, acquire both delicacy of touch in painting the ideographs…."

- Page 7-8: "Chief things that struck me in my meteor-like passage across states:-
1. Number of Jews & cripples in S. Francisco
2. Excellence of cable-car system in same town- & badness of streets
3. Smallness of houses, such houses as depicted in diagram, divided into two flats of evidently two rooms each- people can't eat or breed in 'em certainly
4. Good condition of rolling stock & permanent way on railways; beauty of express baggage system
5. Number of people with 'free passes' on Pullmans.
6. Abstemiousness as regards to alcoholic beverages; didn't see an American (except a capt. of militia) drink anything but water or ice tea in the cars- i.e., at meal times.
7. Great cordiality of everyone to the Britishers.
8. Respect shown to British capital & frequent assurance that things were about to boom & that the B.C. should be brought over at once & in large quantities
9. Number of mirrors on Pullmans…; frequency of moustache combing (with small wait-coat pocket comb)…."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 4.5" x 7"
  • Medium: ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

April 23, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000