Jun 12 at 12:00 PM - Sale 2708 -
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Sale 2708 - Lot 215

Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
(WORLD WAR TWO.) Group of aerial views of Hiroshima and Tokyo taken weeks after the end of fighting. 46 photographs, various sizes; plus an Autograph Letter Signed from Talbot Feild Jr. to his father S. Talbot Feild of Texarkana, AR, 3 pages on 3 leaves, 10½ x 8 inches; mailing folds, minimal wear. [San Francisco, CA], 28 October 1945. The letter and 21 smaller photos accompanied by their original mailing envelope with partly removed postmarked stamps. Various places, September-October 1945 and undated
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Additional Details

These photographs show the devastation in Japan shortly after the 15 August 1945 surrender: in Tokyo after a years-long bombing campaign with conventional weaponry, and in Hiroshima after the detonation of the atomic bomb on 6 August. Includes:

Packet of 21 numbered photos, 3½ x 4¾ inches, said to be taken in September accompanied by a 28 October 1945 letter; photos slightly curled and a bit yellowed.

17 photographs, 8 x 10 inches, all apparently Tokyo but most uncredited and uncaptioned, one with inked stamps of the U.S.S. Hamlin and the Bureau of Aeronautics; minimal wear, 2 September 1945.

Photograph, 11 x 13¾ inches, uncaptioned aerial view showing Tokyo's Imperial Palace at center.

6 other photos plus a duplicate, all 4 x 5 inches or slightly larger, one captioned "Hiroshima" on verso, another "The Diet Building, Tokyo," and the others lettered or numbered without a key.

The 21 smaller photos are accompanied by a letter written by Lieutenant Talbot Feild: "Please secure a large magnifying glass to assist you and your friends in studying these photographs. In the photographs of Hiroshima, please note that whenever a building is seen standing there is always a shadow cast upon the ground. So, if there are no shadows to be seen in many of the photographs, it is because nothing remains standing. . . . These pictures of Hiroshima are aerial views and what you see is only that section which was the heart of the business district. Those few buildings left standing are of reinforced steel and concrete built to withstand earthquakes. Everything inside each one was blasted and entirely destroyed by fire. Even the concrete walls, in many places, turned to glass due to the terrific heat." He compares the population of Hiroshima to American cities with smaller populations such as Dallas and Denver. He asks his father to show the photographs with three friends in Texarkana and Hope, Arkansas; notes that "all these photographs were made with an aerial K20 camera . . . in September 1945"; and concludes with a description of the 21 numbered photos. The first 7 of these photos show Hiroshima a month after the atomic bomb. Photograph #5 is described: "At white spot in center of picture there were 12,000 troops. You can see what is left of them." #6 and #7 are described: "Edge of the city of Hiroshima. Note how roofs are blown in." The other 14 photographs in this group show the damage from conventional weapons in Tokyo, including the imperial palace, airplane hangars, the ruins of a battleship, and more.

Silas Talbot Feild Jr. (1912-1980) of Hope, Arkansas was a lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve. We have been unable to determine the details of his service or whether he actually served in Japan. The letter and smaller photos were mailed from the Fleet Air Wing in San Francisco. Both Lt. Feild and his father were active in Arkansas state politics.

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