American Historical Ephemera & Early Photography Online

8 large format mounted photographs, each approx. 10 1/4 in. x 8 1/4 in. on larger cardstock mount, bearing ink subject identification and/or caption on mount recto. Scenes include: A group portrait of teachers and students including white and Japanese subjects, posed in rows just outside the school. Ink identifications to mount recto include "Mr. Aoki, Master of Meido Kwan," Joseph Cosand, Edith Dillon, S. A. Cosand, and M. A. Gundry." Underlined caption reads "Meido Kwan." -- A view of part of the school building from a grassy courtyard, with some Japanese and white women posing in windows and under the awning. Ink caption reads "Girl's School from Playground," and identified subjects include Higuchi Ssan, Miss Dillon, Miss Gundry, and "Matron & Takane San." -- A view of the Quaker Meeting House from the graveled street captioned "Friends' Meeting House." -- A view of the interior of the Meeting House complete with pews and a small podium at the front captioned "Friends Meeting House in Tokyo." -- A view of the exterior of the school from the front captioned "Front of Girls' School. Tokyo, Japan." Joseph and S. A. Cosand are both identified and at least partly visible in the garden. -- An elevated exterior view of "Joseph Cosand's Home," with a man and a woman, likely Mr. and Mrs. Cosand, appearing to be engaged in a conversation on the porch. -- A more distant view of the Cosand Home and neighboring girls' school. -- And a fascinating view of Japanese and white subjects gathered on the lawn, engaging in various types of recreation including cricket, some type of racquet game, and what appears to be a seesaw in the background. Small inked "x" marks are featured below some subjects, corresponding with inked identifications on mount recto including S. A. Cosand, M. A. Gundry, Edith Dillon, Kitajima San, Iwai San, Kobayashi San, S. Awzuki, supported by Cooperstown School, Five teachers back, Iwasawa San, Jose. Cosand, and C. Kaifu. -- Together, 8 mounted photographs.

Joseph Cosand and his wife, Sarah, embarked on their Quaker mission in Japan in 1885, settling in Tokyo and teaching English, the Bible, knitting, and sewing, with a desire to open a Quaker school for girls. Such a school was opened in the fall of 1887, and a Quaker Meeting House was built on the school grounds in 1890. The Friends Girls School attracted other Quaker women, including British Friend Mary Gundry, to teach and serve as part of their mission.