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Sharing some old photos from the Meiji/Taisho-eras

weiji2001

後輩
15 May 2013
24
9
13
Hello:
I was fortunate to acquire a large lot of Japanese ephemera from the Meiji and Taisho eras (photos, prints, maps, advertising, books, etc), and I wanted to share it with members of JREF, since I'm not exactly surrounded by people who appreciate it. Feel free to offer comments, questions, and translations, since I'm working through all of this material slowly.

Let me start with some photos. The Japanese were really amazing photography pioneers. In the early 1900s they were already taking photos that were quite unlike those of Americans and Europeans. They seem to have mastered lighting challenges and other limitations of old cameras, and were often taking photos out of doors with pinhole cameras. Also, the photos tend to be loaded 'silent' narratives. Here, the picture really is worth a thousand kanji!

Two photos I attach here are of two men, one a monk, sitting on what appears to be an engawa, or porch, laden with scrolls. The other shows a koto, bamboo flute and two shamisen, perhaps belonging to the artist located in the upper right corner.
 

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Very interesting shots, thank you for sharing them with us! Do you have any information on who took them and where they were taken?
 
Very interesting shots, thank you for sharing them with us! Do you have any information on who took them and where they were taken?

You can see the studio marks on the matting have the photographer's name and location. The one of the two men was taken in Shinano, Nogoya, and the other was taken in Gifu.
 
Thank you, I couldn't decipher it on my cellphone with two dogs and my nephew on my lap. Looking forward to seeing more of your collection. :)
 
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