1916 postcard showing a painting of four beautiful Japanese ladies who are carrying candles and appear to be walking along a sidewalk. There is a small tree in the foreground. This is beautiful artwork. I have no idea what media it was done in, or if it is maybe a well-known work, but it is lovely. If anyone is able to translate the Japanese writing or has any information please contact me.
Addressed to: Ch. Bentzen, Esq., 1445 Schrader St., San Francisco, Calif. Postmarked December 24, 1916, San Francisco. Evidently, the stamp has been removed, perhaps by a collector. Additional postal markings show Panama California, International Exposition at San D (Diego) 1916. Sent by Frodi Sinding of San Francisco.
“With the best wishes for a merry christmas and happy new year. Sincerely yours, Frodi Sinding. 2460 Clay Str., S.F.”
According to his WWI Draft Registration Card, then sender, Frode Sinding was born in Denmark, October 15, 1873, so he would have been age 43 when he sent these holiday wishes. The draft reg card shows occupation as Porter at Lane Hospital in San Francisco, and his permanent address as 2403 Clay St., S.F.
The addressee, Ch. Bentzen was likely the Charles Bentzen who appears on the 1930 Federal Census taken in San Francisco. He is there with his wife Mary E., who was born in California, about 1895. This Charles Bentzen was born in Denmark, about 1893, which if this is indeed the same Charles, makes him about age 23 when he would have received the postcard.
According to a wikipedia entry, “The Panama-California Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California, between March 9, 1915 and January 1, 1917. The exposition celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, and was meant to tout San Diego as the first U.S. port of call for ships traveling north after passing westward through the canal.”
Divided back, used postcard, 1916. Publisher: S.N. Banshudo, No. 14, Shiba Park, Tokyo
Price: $6.00
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama%E2%80%93California_Exposition
Registration State: California; Registration County: San Francisco; Roll: 1544245; Draft Board: 11. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
Year: 1930; Census Place: San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Roll: 197; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 82; Image: 724.0; FHL microfilm: 2339932. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.