Between the Covers

Hardcover. Quarto. Stiff card commercial, "ATLAS No. 81" scrapbook album. 45 thin, brown pages with 96 black and white images verso and recto mounted, opening right to left. 78 approximately 5½" x 3½" real photo postcards, one 9" x 6" print, one 6¼" x 4¾" print, and several newspaper or magazine clippings. With detailed, handwritten notes in English and Japanese throughout. Moderate wear, chipping and creases to the page edges and with several pages loose but present, very good. A detailed and thoroughly annotated scrapbook of rare, professional Sumo wrestling images and information, detailing the heights, weights, accomplishments, and rankings of the athletes pictured within - with occasional commentary from the anonymous compiler. Reminiscent of American baseball card albums of a comparable era, this collection consists primarily of real photo postcards showing the contemporary giants of the sport in 1948 as well as prominent Sumo from the early 20th Century.

Notable named figures shown include:
Futabayama Sadaji (1912-1968). 17 images.
Tamanishiki San'emon (1903-1938). 5 images.
Hitachiyama Taniemon (1874-1922). 6 images.
Akinoumi Setsuo (1914-1979). 18 images.
Terukuni Manz? (1919-1977). 9 images.
Umegatani T?tar? II (1878-1927). 4 images.
Tachiyama Mineemon (1877-1941). 3 images.
Natsu Tunenohana. 2 images.
Nishinoumi Kajir? II (1880-1931). 1 image.
Azumafuji Kin'ichi (1921-1973). 1 image.
Maedayama Eigor? (1914-1971). 1 image.
?nishiki Uichir? (1891-1941). 1 image.
Musashiyama Takeshi (1909-1969). 2 images.
Haguroyama Masaji (1914-1969). 5 images..

A stirring collection, carefully curated and prepared, possibly by an American soldier in occupied Japan, though possibly compiled earlier by a Japanese collector and later annotated, as manuscript notes appear in different hands, in both English letters and Japanese characters.

Item #397730