A Chinese student's accordion book "Made in China by the students of the Self Help Club", Shansi, China

China, 1930. Very good overall. An example of student's work from the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Schools, an accordion book with the label "Made in China By the students of the Self Help Club of the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Schools J'aiku, Shansi, China" inside the front board (at the back).

In 1881 the Oberlin Graduate School of Theology decided to form "The Oberlin Band," to do mission work in China's then remote Shansi Province (now romanized as "Shanxi") under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). In 1900 thirteen of them and many Chinese Christians were killed in the Taiyuan Massacre during the Boxer Uprising. The school continues to this day.

Accordion book, 4 1/4 x 6 3/4" with yellow & red tassel marker and slipcase with yellow & red applied design on the front. A child has illustrated the word "Animal" inside the back page. A rather undeveloped attempt at making a book and case but one must start somewhere. Most likely, a fund raising effort. The date of 1930 is a guesstimate which could be wildly incorrect.