PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS, 7 albums of pre-war snapshots taken by American consul Mr Lester Schnare (1884-1955), the American consul in China, Japan, Italy and Germany prior to the Second World War, with three boxes of related slides and a number of letters and cards (box)

Provenance:

Lester L. Schnare began his career with the Foreign Service department of the U.S. in the early 1900s. By 1918, Schnare had served as Vice-Consul in China and then in the Division of Passport control in the Department of State. In September of 1919, he was promoted to American Consular, class VII. He began his service as an American Consul in Yokohama, Japan in March 1920. He was reappointed to Kobe, Japan in July 1921 where the conditions were subpar. By February of 1922 he was transferred to Swatow, China and remained there until July, 1923 when he was reassigned to Cartagena, Colombia. It appears Schnare experienced some bad health in Cartagena and was advised to take leave to a cooler climate by an American physician.

He left Cartagena in 1927 and reentered the Foreign Service in 1930 on assignment in Germany where he served until 1935. From 1937 until 1939, Schnare served in Milan, Italy; followed by yearlong appointments in Rangoon, Burma (1941 to 1942) and Calcutta, India (1942 to 1943) and a short term appointment in Tehran, Persia [Iran] (1943). Lester L. Schnare concluded his career in Genoa, Italy from 1944 until 1948. His wife, Margaret K. Schnare, appears to have travelled with him to each post with a few exceptions.

While in Milan, he made news when he helped to negotiate the successful release of a consular clerk who had been arrested and sent to an Italian prison. Aside from his political positions, he worked as a school teacher, newspaper editor, and stenographer.