Lot 2244

1901 Tongku (18 Mar) to Peking. Postcard, frankless and applied with KD Field Post Station No. 4 cds and scarce "Chef du District de Tongku" bilingual circular seal. According to Chinese history book, the Yamen at Tientsin divided the administration into five sections in charge by European and one of the sections was Tongku.

1901.3.18 塘沽寄北京。明信片，無貼票，鈐德軍野戰4局日戳及少見之“都統衙門塘沽段司員”紅色圓戳。 《西巡迴鑾始末》有以下相關記載﹕“暫行管理城廂內外地方事務都統寶倭青法副司為出示曉諭事。照得本衙門僅管理天津城池暨土牆以內地方，現狀天津縣屬境暨寧河縣屬之新河以南一帶地方全行管轄，界內居民盡行保護。該民人等，亦當恪遵本衙門所訂律章辦理。茲將各處地方劃分五段。......第五段名曰塘沽段司員，現派渥勒寒芬充補，駐塘沽。各段內一切事務，統歸各司員辦理。民間事故，已在司員衙門呈控判審各節，該民人等若不悅服，亦可來本衙門上控。” 極具歷史意義。