The lantern slides in this collection were gathered by E. Raymond Wilson while he was in Japan from Sept. 1926 to Sept. 1927, having been awarded the Japanese Brotherhood Scholarship for study and the building of friendships. Wilson's fascination with the people and places of Japan led to detailed letters home to America, in which he included observations about his trips around the country and to Formosa. The 257 lantern slides that he brought back with him reflect his interests, having to do with beautiful sites and scenery, daily life, agricultural practices, schools and universities, and the tribes of Formosa. Most of the slides were created by professional photographers (including T. Takagi and Futaba) and were hand-tinted by artists; a few of the slides were made from photographs taken by Wilson himself.