Russo-Japanese War Postcards

"... the Russo-Japanese War coincided with the emergence of picture postcards as a global phenomenon. Photographers, artists, illustrators, flat-out propagandists—all suddenly possessed, in these engaging little mass-produced graphics, a new vehicle for reaching a huge popular audience."[1]

In fact, the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 was the first war to be widely illustrated in postcards. The rare collection shown below are an example of this medium, and exhibit the distinct style of A. Lovichi, a painter and illustrator working at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. He is most likely French (probably of Corsican descent). His speciality was naval scenes.

 

Battle of Port Arthur (8–9 February 1904)

Translation of caption: [The Russian battleship] Retvizan and the [shore] forts beat back an attack of Japanese fire-ships at Port Arthur.

Details of this battle, complete with a map showing the shore batteries, can be found in a contemporary report in the San Francisco Call (a newspaper that eventually merged with the San Francisco Examiner).

Translation of caption: Bombardment of Port-Arthur by the Japanese Squadron.

Battle of Chemulpo Bay 9 February 1904

Translation of caption: Attack by the Japanese squadron on the Russian cruiser Varyag at Chemulpo.

Translation of caption: Sailors of the French cruiser, Pascal, rescue Russian sailors following the Battle of Chemulpo.

The delivery of international mail became easier after the foundation of the General Postal Union, which became the Universal Postal Union in 1878. This organization is mentioned on the verso of the postcards, indicating that they were made for a multi-national market. The cards above were purchased and posted from Weimar, Germany in 1904, only six months after the actual battles were fought. 

They are addressed to Mrs. Nichols, referring to Mary Cowie Nichols of Tasmania, wife of Charles Nichols, an English-born, New Zealand businessman. 

[1] Dower, John W. Asia Rising: Japanese postcards of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05)