Glimpses of an Unfamiliar Japan

c. 1894

Special Collections DS809 HD885

London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.

Willi Fels travelled a great deal, visiting Europe many times. He also travelled to Japan, and secured a number of artifacts that are now housed in the Otago Museum. Special Collections has a number of works by the Greek-born, American journalist turned Japanophile, Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) that were once owned by Fels. Hearn readily adopted Japanese culture, and on marrying a Samurai’s daughter, he became known as Koizumi Yakumo. Hearn wrote extensively about Japan, with Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan (1894) his first on his adopted country. Perhaps Fels, the connoisseur collector, met Hearn while in Tokyo.