Oriental Museum exhibits unique collection in Japan

The collection of 50 items includes photographs, books, artwork and clothes, was donated to the Oriental Museum by the family in 1980. Now, after more than a decade of planning, Rachel Barclay, Senior Curator, has taken the collection back to be exhibited in Japan.

In 1898, British engineer George Squire (1868-1930) went to work in Japan at the request of a Japanese paper mill. At a time when Japan's modern paper industry was rapidly developing and factories were opening up in various locations, George was given full control of factory management at the Senju Paper Mill in Kokura, Kyushu.

While commuting between Kokura and the head office in Tokyo by boat, he managed the factory by paying close attention to everything from training workers to paying salaries.

He was then joined by his wife, Mrs Lydia Squire and their two young daughters. During the three years the Squires lived in Kokura, Lydia educated her daughters Marjorie and Dorothy at her home, and also taught English to her neighbours. The Squires regularly photographed the sisters at the Kunizo Moriyama Photo Studio in Kokura. The two families had a close relationship, with Tamezo, one of the sons of the Moriyama family, learning English from Lydia. They stayed in touch long after the Squires returned to England and settled in Sunderland.

The exhibition is being co-hosted by Durham University, at the National Museum of Japanese History as part of their commitment to research cooperation. The two institutions renewed and re-signed a Memorandum of Understanding or Rekinaku partnership, when Prof Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University visited in 2022.

It was through the Memorandum of Understanding, that the Oriental Museum was chosen to host last year’s major exhibition “Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki” in partnership with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. The exhibition was opened by the Japanese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Mr. Hajime Hayashi.

Museums and Collections are one of our unique strengths and our partnership with the National Museum of Japanese History, which was renewed in 2022, is a great example of how we can collaborate to internationalise the research, education and profiles of both our institutions.

We are proud to have a long history of friendship and cooperation with the people of Japan, with Japanese students studying here since the nineteenth century.  This history of collaboration has been developed since then through many decades of teaching Japanese Studies. This popular programme, which now has almost one hundred students, is underpinned by an exchange programme with eleven leading Japanese universities, including in Tokyo, Kyoto and Kyushu.

Japan is a highly-valued partner in terms of scientific research collaborations at Durham. Between 2019 and 2023, our academics collaborated on over 500 co-publications with counterparts across 180 Japanese institutions. This exhibition helps to strengthen our links with studying  Arts and Humanities subjects, including History, Archaeology and Sociology in Japanese Universities.

Find out more:

• Learn more about the exhibition - "Memories of the Squire Family - From the Mementoes of a British Engineer"
• Visit the Oriental Museum
• See Global Durham
• National Museum of Japanese History
• Welcoming International students