Today in Postal History

   

Hong Kong to Barbados
April 18, 1923

There is more to this Japanese picture postcard than meets the eye initially.
Of course, the lovely coastal scene from a rugged shore near Nagasaki is a bonus!

As it turns out, it is a card written
on a ship bound from Japan to Hong Kong and
put into the mail in Hong Kong on arrival.

The text of the message is quite interesting.
I've captured it as follows:

"                         Sunday April 15th
Due to arrive Hong Kong Tuesday
have had a lovely time so
Far.  I love the life on board
ship.  It was bitterly cold at
Yokohama & was sleeting when
we arrived  we have been almost
frozen ever since, it is warmer
today, thank goodness.  Can't
say I'm enthralled with Japan
so far, but it is not fair to judge
we had such vile weather.
Much love
                                               Edith"*

The addressee was Miss [Edith] Noble, Queen's College, Barbados, British West Indies.
I believe this would have been an uncommon destination for such a cover in 1923.

The stamp is, most likely, the 4c. carmine-red from the 1921 George V series (SG 120).

There is a clear strike of the Hong Kong CDS.
The small bit of a second CDS probably resulted from an overlap by
an efficient clerk lining up several cards for speedy cancellation.

*Thanks to Jim W-S for his help in interpreting the handwriting.

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