Lot # 102: 1934 U.S. All Star Japan Tour Babe Ruth Postcards and Envelope

Category: Postcards

Starting Bid: $400.00

Bids: 0 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed

Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Auction 68 Ended 10/26/2024",
which ran from 10/6/2024 8:00 PM to
10/26/2024 11:00 PM



During the legendary 1934 Major League All Star Tour of Japan, the Sultan of Swat took time out from the games to visit the garden of Mr. Shigenobu Okuma, founder of Waseda University. Okuma was a man who helped in the modernization of Japan, calling for "harmony between Eastern and Western civilizations".

In 1934, before the founding of Japan Pro Baseball, the Waseda U. baseball team was one of the top teams in Japan, and a number of players on the All Japan team that faced Ruth on the Tour were current Waseda players or Waseda alumni. Ruth is shown here on one of the postcards flanked by a famous chef known as Hige No Tempei (r) and another unknown person. Shigenobu Okuma had died a decade before this photo was taken.

While we have offered the postcard of Ruth and Hige No Tempei twice in the past, we never knew until now that it was part of a two postcard set that originally came in an envelope. According to the text on the envelope, the two postcards were produced to promote Hige No Tempei's restaurant. The other card includes Guglielmo Marconi who is credited as the inventor of radio.

Size: Each postcard is 5 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Condition: The postcard with Babe Ruth is Vg with a crease on the left side and foxing on the back. The other postcard is Nm/Mt. The envelope is Good.

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