Oblong Quarto album (ca. 26,8x36,4 cm). 30 card stock leaves. With ca. 215 mounted original gelatin silver photographs from ca. 8,7x14,4 cm (3 ½ x 5 ¾ in) to ca. 6,9x6,7 cm (2 ¾ x 2 ½ in), five real photo postcards ca. 10,8x13,9 cm (4 ¼ x 5 ½ in), and six printed postcards ca. 13,7x8,7 cm (5 ½ x 3 ½ in). Most photos with period white pencil captions (in French) on the mounts, at least seven photos (including one real photo postcard) with captions in negatives. Full ornamented cloth album fastened with a string. Several photos with mild silvering, but otherwise a very good album with strong, interesting photographs.

Historically interesting album of lively vernacular photographs apparently taken by a French resident of Canada during his trans-Pacific voyage from Vancouver to the Orient in the late 1934 and early 1935. The compiler and his travel companions left Vancouver aboard the “RMS Empress of Canada” and sailed to Hong Kong, with a stopover in Saigon (Vietnam). From there, they traveled overland to Beijing and Seoul, and then continued to Japan, visiting Kyoto and Nikko. On the return journey, they stopped in Honolulu and New York.

The album contains 215 well executed photographs from the voyage and opens with over sixty images of Saigon, showing rare views of the first tea factory in the East-South Asia, the Bank of Vietnam, and candid street scenes of native huts, boutiques, and restaurants. Especially interesting is a striking image of half-naked ethnic locals sitting on the ground beside a bicycle and posing for the camera. The other photos from the region capture topographical views, riverside fishing gear on the Huong River, and snapshots of the compiler and his companions throughout their journey (by cars, in canoes along the Mekong River, etc.).

Among twenty-five photographs of Hong Kong, a standout image illustrates a bustling street scene filled with residents in traditional attire, shopfronts with Chinese signs, and flags of the Wang Jingwei regime flying alongside the British Union Jack. The rest of the images show the city’s port, waterfront, glowing night views, and moments of the travel group golfing.

In Beijing, the focus shifts to historical landmarks, documenting the Summer Palace, Nine Dragon Screen, Ming Tombs, Temple and Altar of Heaven, and the iconic Chinese guardian lions. A dozen photographs of the Great Wall offer a rare glimpse of life along its slopes, with locals carrying goods in baskets and leading donkeys through the rugged terrain.

The Japanese portion of the journey includes evocative views of Kyoto’s Chion-in Temple, the historic Yaami Hotel, and a Buddhist temple with a monk standing solemnly at the gate. The group also visited Nikko, capturing sites such as the Toshogu Shrine, the ornate Yomeimon Gate, a stone basin, and tranquil views of Lake Chuzenji.

The album closes with about forty photos of Seoul (Temple of Heaven), Honolulu (views of the waterfront, photos on deck), and Arizona (Grand Canyon).

Overall, historically interesting album of lively vernacular photographs apparently taken by a French resident of Canada during his trans-Pacific voyage from Vancouver to the Orient in the late 1934 and early 1935.