This collection of photo postcards was printed on Kodak Professional AZO Paper.  The paper was pre-cut to the postcard size and imprinted with the divided back and location for the stamp.  Where the stamp in placed AZO is written on the four sides with triangles in the corner.  Cards produced between 1904 and 1918 show the four triangles pointing up.  From 1918 to 1930, two triangles pointed up and two pointed down.  This type of paper was suitable for making contact prints, rather than enlargements for which the source of  light would be much weaker.  This also made the process of creating prints much easier for the shipboard environment.

cards from the visit to japan

The card at right shows the street decorations at the Yokohama Bazaar.  Out front can be seen American and Japanese flags lining the street with "candy-cane" wrapped poles.  Parked in front is a rickshaw not in use while three others move down the street away from view.

In the view to the right, again in Yokohama, American sailors are riding in rickshaws down a street decorated with paper lanterns, umbrellas and flags all decorated for the fleet's visit.  It can easily be seen how the American sailor would have been won over with the enthusiastic show of hospitality throughout the Yokohama community and in Tokyo.

Both of these photographs are quite rare.  These are the first images I have seen of these buildings during the fleet's  visit.  At left it the train station in Yokohama, decorated with a "Welcome" sign and American flags.  At different locations you can see Blue Jackets coming and going from the station.

At right is the Japanese Theater in Yokohama that was open to sailors to experience shows that were put on in honor of their visit.  As can be seen the theater and the streets were elaborately decorated with American and Japanese flags.  This is the first image I  have seen of this theater.

manila, philippine islands

The Navy Yard at Cavite is located directly south of Manila on the opposite side of Manila Bay.  It has been a functioning yard since before the Spanish American War and had cannon emplacements to guard the entrance to the Bay.  The card in the center is a nice photograph of Fort Santiago.  Built by Spanish conquistadors, it made up the walled  city of Manila.  The building here is part of construction completed by the American occupation and provides a backdrop in the photograph to two American Army officers enjoying the view of the ships in the harbor decorated for the fleet's visit.  The 3rd photograph is of a postcard of a water buffalo in the mote around the walled city.

visiting amoy, china

USS Ohio being part of Second Squadron allowed Yeoman Foutch the opportunity to visit China.  Though I have yet to find any photo postcards, he did  send these cards that were available during the visit.  It is possible that this is an indication that he was purchasing the photo postcards from a source that did not get to visit Amoy.