The Adventure of Japanese Photography 1860–1890

This book documents not only a unique chapter of the history of photography, but also provides insights about the way European and, later, Japanese photographers staged their image of Japan in accordance with Western expectations. The 90 photographs of the March Collection published in this volume, many of which are being made available to the public for the first time ever, depict the vanished feudal Japan in a way unique both in its historical meaning and in its aesthetic appearance. They include rare works by Felice Beato and Adolpho Farsari and numerous pictures by their Japanese followers Ueno Hikoma, Kusabe Kinbei, Tamamura Kihei, and Ogawa Kazume. Through intensive research, it was for the first time possible to attribute several works to the artists.