Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-21
Library of Congress
Purchases Valuable
Collection of Sketches

patrick, chief assistant of the manu-
script division of the Library Of Con-
gress, to be one of the divisions
most valuable acquisitions in recent
months, has just been purchased
from r. j. Mittmer, Minneapolis,
MINI.
1t comprises a collection Of original
Japanese drawings. said to depict the
landing of Commodore Matthew
Calbraith Perry in japan in 1854.
when the Commodore went to the
orient on his commercial expedition
under orders from President Franklin
Pierce.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick says the collection
of drawings, which for the most part
are in colors, will add materially to
the historical knowledge, not only
of the expedition of Commodore
Perry, but also of the United States
Naval and Japanese customs Of that
period.
The drawings, Mr.. Fitzpatrick said,
were acquired in Japan by Mr.. Mitt-
mer prior TO the Japanese earthquake
and fire in 1923. and it is believed
that, as a result of that fire, such
work is now practically extinct.
Authenticity Verified
Mr.. Fitzpatrick called attention TO
the report of Commodore Perry Of
the expedition, which report was
published as Senate Document No.
10. thirty third Congress, second ses-
sion, This report, he pointed out,
verifles the authenticity of many OF
the drawings made by japanese OBJ
servers Of the exploring party and
its boats,
Especial attention was called to
drawing in the collection which,
when compared with historical por-
traits, proved TO be that of Commo-
dore Perry. Individual portraits OF
other members of the Perry party
also are included in the collection.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick also pointed out
drawing showing members of the ex-
ploring party with their faces dark
ened and holding guitars and banjos
in their hands as they sat in semi
circle. This picture. Mr.. Fitzpatrick
believes, is he minstrel show refer
red to on page 430 of volume /, OF
Commodore Perrys report, where he
states:
ION one occasion some of the sail
ors got up a concert of Ethiopian
MINISTRIES, which seemed to give as
much delight to the natives at Hako-
dadi as it had done to the commits
Several drawings OF the miniature
railroad train taken to Japan by the
party are included in the collection.
Mr.. FitZpatriC' emphasized the
"painstaking care exercised in repro
ducing every detail Of the locomotive.
coal car and passenger coach"
Explains Reason for Detail
This care, he believes. was taken
for the purpose Of making a per-
manent record of the mechanism OF
the model in order that it might be
reproduced for japanese use. Com
modore Perry's report states that the
miniature train was left in Japan as
gift from the United States. One
of the japanese artists reproduced
the front of the locomotive showing
that it was made by the Norris
Works, 1853"
One picture in the collection shows
two American women dressed in the
popular fashions of the middle nine
teenth century. 1t is not known, Mr..
accompanied the Perry expedition.
However, the report of the party
states that on February Is, 1855. the
Schooner &C. E. Foote" sailed from
Honolulu for Japan and that three
American women were included
among it's passengers. The report
further states that foreign women
were not welcome in Japan at that
time
I'VE believe said Mr.. Fitzpatrick.
that when these pictures are bound
in permanent form and placed on
our shelves they will prove of great
value to writers and students of
history. We feel that the Japanese
took such pains to be accurate in
their drawings that the work has
authentic historical soundness"