[Archive of Annotated Real Photo Postcards, Picture Postcards, and Photographs Amounting to a Narrative of an American Serviceman's Experiences in Russia During the American Expeditionary Force in Siberia, As Well As Several Other Locations Around the World]

[Vladivostok, Russia; China; Japan; Philippines; Cuba; Panama; and Egypt, 1922. Very good plus.. Ninety-six real photo postcards, postcards, and photographs, each about 3.5 x 5.5 inches or slightly smaller. A very well-preserved group, arranged in clear plastic sleeves in a brad-bound folder. An informative and ultimately unique collection of mostly annotated images documenting the military exploits of Lester W. Soden of Portland, Oregon, a Navy Midshipman serving in important locations in Asia and elsewhere in the years immediately following World War I. Soden sent the postcards and photographs home to various family members and friends in Portland, (truncated) Oregon. On the verso of the great majority of the postcards and photographs, Soden has added vital typed or handwritten captions describing the subject, location, or other important information for each image, as well as occasionally adding a personal note about them. Most of the images do not exhibit postmarks, so were likely sent along by Soden with letters.

Most important among Soden's experiences here, and encompassing almost half of the images (forty-seven, in fact) was his time in Vladivostok, Russia in 1918-1920 as part of the American Expeditionary Force, Siberia. All but four of the postcards and photographs from Russia have typed captions on the verso, providing critical background information on Soden's experiences. Soden's captions run from one line ("Street scene in Vladdie") to a couple of lines ("View of Vladivostok, Siberia, showing section of the city along the tracks of the Siberian railroad, and one of the fine Russian churches in the back ground. This was taken but a week ago") to detailed, much longer efforts, for example: "Since coming to Siberia I have not seen a single saw mill where modern machinery, such as power driven saws and etc was used. Here is a picture I took the other day in Vladivostok, showing the Asiatic method of making lumber. The Chinamen do the work, two men to a saw, one on top of the framework that serves for a work bench, the other stands on the ground, and away they saw on logs, turning out lumber of various thicknesses. When first I witnessed such ancient methods, it seemed as tho I had stepped into a land of long ago, but time has accustomed me to such sights in Siberia."

Soden's other images provide a deep picture of the Vladivostok area at a crucial time in its history, picturing street scenes, the funeral of "a deceased shipmate who died at Vladivostok," the Bay of the Golden Horn, Japanese headquarters and a Japanese market in the city, troops and ships from other Allied countries, a YMCA train car serving coffee to soldiers, a Bolshevik armored car stuck in the mud, a portrait of Czech leader General Radola Gajda (here spelled Gaida), two images of Gajda's armored train car which he used in a failed attempt to occupy Vladivostok in 1918, and much more. Part of the Allied mission in Vladivostok involved protecting and providing passage for Czech troops who had fought for their own freedom against Lenin and the Russian revolutionaries. One of Soden's captions concern these freedom fighters: "Czech troops along the trans-Siberian R.R. coming into Vladivostok. They have some sort of decorations on the cars. You will notice the odd style of cars used, with single axeled wheels, that are not solid steel like the car wheels we have in the States, where only double tracks are used. The cars here are very short, tho once in a while one notices standard sized cars with double tracks, identical to the ones used in the States, in fact they were built there."

In addition to his time in Siberia, Soden also served in China, Japan, Manchuria, the Philippines, Egypt, Panama, and Cuba. Seventeen postcards document his experiences in China, as well as sixteen in Japan and Manchuria, eight in the Philippines, and the remainder from Egypt, Panama, and Cuba. Most of these images are also captioned on the verso, picturing street scenes, a Peking sawmill, the city of Shanghai, Tartar Wall, Hankow, a Dragon Festival in Hong Kong, the Nanking Road, and more in China. Most of the Japanese images show the celebrations in Tokyo for the return of Hirohito from a tour of Europe, but also temples in Nikko, the American fleet in Yokohama, and two street views of Dairen City, Manchuria. Other images depict a child's funeral ("The other day I was lucky enough to see a native funeral, one of the strangest sights I've ever seen. You would think it's a parade"), and a Manila river scene in the Philippines; Guantanamo Bay in Cuba; the United Fruit Company's offices in Panama; and more. The only non-visual item included with the postcards and photographs is a black ribbon, reading "U.S.S. Scorpion," presumably Soden's ship. (Inventory #: 3734)