[KOMATSU AKIHITO]: (1846-1903) Japanese Prince and Field Marshal, Chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office 1895-98. An unusual hardback bound 4to album containing over 80 signatures (and additional entries seemingly in the same, unidentified hand) by various dignitaries of the early 20^th century including Giuseppe Zanardelli (1826-1903) Italian Prime Minister 1901-03, Rennell Rodd (1858-1941) 1^st Baron Rennell, British diplomat, politician and poet who served as British Ambassador to Italy 1908-19, Giacomo Malvano (Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Euston Sartorius VC (1844-1925) British Major General, Victoria Cross winner for his actions at Shahjui on 24^th October 1879 during the Second Anglo-Afghan War, Arthur Larcom (1847-1924) British diplomat and barrister, Hayashi Tadasu (1850-1913) Japanese diplomat, appointed the first Japanese ambassador to the Court of St. James's in 1905, Marcus Samuel (1853-1927) 1^st Viscount Bearsted, Lord Mayor of London 1902-03 and the founder and chairman of the Shell Transport and Trading Company 1897-1921, Edward Cotton-Jodrell (1847-1917) British Colonel and politician who served on the Headquarters Staff of the War Office 1906-12, Alfred Gaselee (1844-1918) British General in the Indian Army, William Lowther (1821-1912) British diplomat and politician, Marcus Bourne Huish (1843-1921) English barrister, writer, art dealer and Japanophile, the first managing director of the Fine Art Society, John McNeill VC (1831-1904) British Major General, Victoria Cross winner for his actions during the Invasion of Waikato, New Zealand, 30^th March 1864, Edward Altham Altham (1856-1943) British Lieutenant-General who served in the Second Boer War and as a senior intelligence officer during World War I, Richard Tracey (1837-1907) British Admiral, President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich 1897-1900, James Turner Cummins (1843-1912) British Major General in the Indian Army, Alexander Buller (1834-1903) British Admiral, Commander-in-Chief, China Station 1895-97, Martin Gosselin (1847-1905) British diplomat, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Portugal 1902-05, Whitelaw Reid (1837-1912) American politician and newspaper editor, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom 1905-12, Fleetwood Edwards (1842-1910) British Lieutenant-Colonel, Keeper of the Privy Purse to Queen Victoria 1895-1901, Count Luigi Bonaparte Primoli (1858-1925) Italian nobleman and amateur photographer, Seymour John Fortescue (1856-1942) British Captain in the Royal Navy, Equerry to the British sovereign and Serjeant-at-Arms in the House of Lords, Reginal Custance (1847-1935) British Admiral, Howard Vincent (1849-1908) British Colonel, barrister and politician who also served as the first Director of Criminal Investigation with the Metropolitan Police 1878-84, Shigeru Yoshida (1878-1967) Japanese diplomat and politician, Prime Minister of Japan 1946-47, 1948-54, Rafael Merry del Val (1865-1930) Spanish Roman Catholic cardinal, Cardinal Secretary of State 1897-99 and secretary of the papal conclave of 1903 that elected Pope Pius X, William Hutt Curzon Wyllie (1848-1909) British Lieutenant-Colonel in the Indian Army, Martinus Theunis Steyn (1857-1916) South African lawyer, politician and statesman who served as President of the Orange Free State 1896-1902, Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) Spanish violinist, and various other individuals associated with France, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Serbia, Austro-Hungary, China, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil etc. With a colour painted cover and ink title. Some light age wear, generally VG

 

The signatures contained within the present album would appear to have been obtained during June and July 1902 at a time when many foreign nations had sent official representatives to London to attend the coronation of King Edward VII, originally planned for 26^th June 1902. The King was diagnosed with appendicitis two days before the event and the coronation was postponed until 9^th August 1902.