'The International Ties between Europe and Tsuda College'
Period: Monday, 25th May, 2009 - Friday, 19th June, 2009
Venue: Tsuda College Archives, Tsuda Library 2nd Floor, Tsuda College
leaflet (Japanese)
The Exhibition was held to show the relationships between both Umeko Tsuda (1864-1929) and Anna C. Hartshorne (1860-1957), and Europe.
Umeko Tsuda, one of the first women to study abroad in Japan, was educated in the USA for eleven years from 1871. She again went to America in 1889 and studied biology and education at Bryn Mawr College and elsewhere. This came from her strong intention to devote herself to developing the education of women in Japan. After coming back from America, she established Joshi-Eigaku Juku, the predecessor of Tsuda College, in 1900. She established the college on the basis of the knowledge and experience she acquired during her two visits to America.
The relationship between Umeko Tsuda and Europe was built in Britain. In 1898, she was invited to Britain to learn literature, history and ethics at St. Hilda's College, Oxford University and to tour various universities and educational facilities in the country. The details of these days Umeko spent in Britain were described in a valuable document, 'Diary during stay in British Cities', which was displayed in this exhibition. In the Diary, there is one memorable scene where she had a meeting with Florence Nightingale.
Anna C. Hartshorne, Umeko's best friend, had strong relations with Europe as well. She went to Europe from 1902-1904 and studied a new and popular teaching method of foreign languages in Europe called the 'Berlitz Method', in Florence, Italy. She then came back to Japan and taught English, English literature and its history, linguistics and English teaching methods at Joshi-Eigaku Juku and its successor, Tsuda College, while she edited academic papers. She thought out a new teaching method for foreign languages with a conversation text based on her own teaching experience.
Anna sympathised the Umeko's dream of educating women and continuously devoted herself without pay to the development to Tsuda College over nearly forty years from the start of Joshi-Eigaku Juku to her return in 1940. She went to America by herself immediately after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and collected a great amount of donations to support the reconstruction of the school that was burned down. Anna's efforts enabled the school to move to its present Kodaira location. The main building of Kodaira campus, Honkan, is called 'Hartshorne Hall' to commemorate her numerous efforts.
Major Exhibition materials:
Painting by Yamaguchi Hoshun, 'Iwakura embassy (Iwakura Shisetsudan) dispatched to Europe and USA' from Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery Collections
Diary by Umeko Tsuda, 'Diary during stay in British Cities' from Tsuda College Archives Collections
Letters by Anna C. Hartshorne, 'Letters to Umeko Tsuda during in her stay in Europe' from Tsuda College Archives Collections
Pressed Flowers by Umeko Tsuda, 'Bouquet presented by Lady Florence Nightingale' from Tsuda College Archives Collections
Language Text by Anna C. Hartshorne, 'STORIES IN DIALOGUE' taken from well-known tales for the use of Middle And Higher Schools in Japan, published in 1922, donated by Ms. Yoko Higuchi
