Rare Missionary Photograph Scrapbook WOMAN'S FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY, China and Japan, Circa 1920s

Over 100 original black-and-white photographs documenting early 20th-century medical and educational missions in Asia.

This historically rich and rare scrapbook, compiled circa 1920s by Viola L. Miller, contains over 100 black-and-white photographs chronicling the cultural impact and daily lives of missionaries from the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society (W.F.M.S.) and the Methodist Episcopal Church in China and Japan.

The images offer an intimate view into the work, travels, and surroundings of early medical and educational missionaries. Subjects include graduating medical students, hospital patients, mission schools, weddings, children, and local scenery—capturing both daily life and moments of significance across multiple regions.

Although specific details on Viola L. Miller remain limited, inscriptions suggest she was likely a missionary herself. Her captions and photo selections reflect a firsthand perspective on mission work and local conditions during this pivotal period.

Highlights from the Collection:

• William Gamble Memorial Hospital, built circa 1902 in Chungking, served as a major center for Methodist medical missions in southwestern China. It played a key role in midwifery and nursing education. Several photographs depict its graduates. The hospital’s women’s wing was named in memory of William Gamble, a relative of James N. Gamble, co-founder of Procter & Gamble. The Gamble family’s support of Methodist missions exemplifies the era’s religious philanthropy.
• Caldwell Girls' School, located in Zizhong , Sichuan Province is prominently featured. Photographs show not only the school’s buildings and students but also the aftermath of a local flood or water-related incident with blankets and medical supplies drying across the courthouse. A handwritten caption reads: “Drying out our hospital supplies three weeks after the wrech [sic].”
• Images of the W.F.M.S. Home suggest it may have served as both residence and working base for women missionaries, possibly including educational and medical functions.
• The scrapbook also includes souvenir-style photographs from Nikko and Tokyo, Japan—key destinations for missionaries transiting through Japan on their way to or from China. Nikko, with its religious and historical importance, was a common stopping point due to its proximity to Tokyo.

Physical Description:

The photographs are archived in a black scrapbook with “Photographs” embossed in gold gilt on the cover. The album measures approximately 12⅛” x 8⅜” x 1¼” and is in good overall condition. The original binding string has been changed to a silver cord. The photographs are well-preserved and vary in size, including:

• 8" x 10"
• 5½" x 7½"
• 5½" x 4"
• 2" x 3¾"
• 2½" x 1¼"

Most of the photographs are dated and annotated by hand, enhancing the historical and research value of the album. The larger photographs are not glued to pages and are loose. 

This scrapbook offers a rare, firsthand visual record of American missionary life and cross-cultural engagement in early 20th-century Asia, ideal for collectors of religious ephemera, mission history, or early photographic documentation of China and Japan.

View the video under media to see more photographs.