Handover Ceremony of Samuel Shingow OHASHI’s Postcards
2023/2/13
On 8 February 2023, Ambassador Eiji Kato attended a ceremony at the National Museum of History to hand over the donated postcards of Mr. Ohashi.
The donated postcards are the work of Mr Samuel Shingow OHASHI, who is a Japanese photographer lived in the Seychelles at the beginning of the 20th century. Mr Ohashi was born in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture in Japan, He was a Japanese photographer who came to the Seychelles around 1892, and lived here in Victoria until 1925, when he died in Seychelles at the age of 74. Mr. Ohashi's postcards beautifully capture the history of the Seychelles, including the streets of the capital, the port, government offices, people's lives, elephant turtles and plants unique to the Seychelles. Some of Ohashi's postcards have been used in archive books on the history of Seychelles, and some are on display at the National History Museum.
The 66 postcards donated this time, were from the private collection of Mr Sumio Aoki (former Professor of Chubu University). Mr Aoki is a researcher on Japanese pioneers in Africa and other countries, and has a large collection of historical documents, including photographs, postcards, maps and other documents relating to Japanese residents in the pre-war period. He believes that these historical documents are more valuable historical materials in their respective countries than in Japan, and has decided to donate his collection of postcards to the National Museum of History in order to return them to as his second home in the Seychelles.
At the handover ceremony, Mr Aoki delivered a speech via online participation, and Ms Cecile Kalebi, The Permanent Secretary for the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts, delivered a speech.
The donated postcards are the work of Mr Samuel Shingow OHASHI, who is a Japanese photographer lived in the Seychelles at the beginning of the 20th century. Mr Ohashi was born in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture in Japan, He was a Japanese photographer who came to the Seychelles around 1892, and lived here in Victoria until 1925, when he died in Seychelles at the age of 74. Mr. Ohashi's postcards beautifully capture the history of the Seychelles, including the streets of the capital, the port, government offices, people's lives, elephant turtles and plants unique to the Seychelles. Some of Ohashi's postcards have been used in archive books on the history of Seychelles, and some are on display at the National History Museum.
The 66 postcards donated this time, were from the private collection of Mr Sumio Aoki (former Professor of Chubu University). Mr Aoki is a researcher on Japanese pioneers in Africa and other countries, and has a large collection of historical documents, including photographs, postcards, maps and other documents relating to Japanese residents in the pre-war period. He believes that these historical documents are more valuable historical materials in their respective countries than in Japan, and has decided to donate his collection of postcards to the National Museum of History in order to return them to as his second home in the Seychelles.
At the handover ceremony, Mr Aoki delivered a speech via online participation, and Ms Cecile Kalebi, The Permanent Secretary for the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts, delivered a speech.