From Honolulu to Brussels in 1899, tracing the long voyage of a handwritten message.
Although the French handwriting is hard to read, it appears to say something like this:
Dear old Jacques
I am sending you this card by way of Japan so that it may travel around the other side of the world.
On the steamship I met Robinson, your great friend from St. Moritz.
Kissed to Bebe and Jule.
Henri.
At first, this postcard shocked me.
It was mailed from honolulu in 1899, traveled through Japan, crossed Pacific to San Francisco, then continued across the American continent before finally arriving in Belgium.
Today that route sounds unusual. But after researching postal history, I learned that such journeys were not impossible in 1899, Steamship networks and international mail agreements had already begun connecting the world in surprisingly complex way.
Still, the sender chose a long and fascinating route.
And then I noticed something even more interesting.
The message itself mentions writing aboard a steamship.
That raise a beautiful question: Was the writer traveling along the same route as the postcard itself?
Perhaps the card and its sender cross the Pacific together- leaving Honolulu and stopping in Japan, arriving in San Francisco then continued eastward toward Europe.
If so this postcard becomes more than mail.
It becomes physical trace of human journey moving through the emerging global world of 1899.
A small piece of paper carrying
- Handwriting
- Memory
- Ocean Travel
- And the excitement of seeing the world grow suddenly connected.
Today, information moves invisibly through satellites and the algorithms.
In 1899, both people and knowledge moved at the speed of steamships, railroads and human patience.
Now and Then
Here is a quick look at how the world has changed since the late 19th century based on the text.
1. The Slow Life (Time & Speed)
- Then: A trip from San Francisco to New York took 6 days by rail. Going from London to Yokohama (Japan) took a staggering 53 days!
- Now: You can fly from SF to NY in about 6 hours. A flight from London to Tokyo takes only 13-14 hours.
- Comparison: We are now moving about 24 to 100 times faster than people did back then!
2. The Price of Adventure (Cost)
- Then: A ticket from London to San Francisco cost $590. In 1870, that was a small fortune (equivalent to nearly $13,000 today!).
- Now: You can find that same flight for around $600 – $1,000.
- Comparison: Travel used to be a luxury for the ultra-rich (like Phileas Fogg). Today, it’s accessible to almost everyone.
3. The “Internet” of the 1800s (Steamships)
- Then: The text mentions the Austro-Hungarian Lloyd’s and other giant steamship companies. They were the “airlines” of the past, carrying mail and people through the newly opened Suez Canal.
- Now: Instead of “The Ducal” or “The Harrison” lines, we have giants like Emirates, Delta, or Maersk for cargo.
4. Exotic Destinations
- Then: Places like Ceylon (Colombo), Bombay, and Yokohama were mysterious, far-off lands that took months to reach. The text even mentions “Corea” (Korea) as a distant destination for some steamers.
- Now: You can book a hotel in Yokohama on your smartphone in 5 seconds and be there tomorrow.
Every era builds its own internet. In 1899, it was made of steel and steam.
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