Meiji Period Japanese Photographs

Meiji Period Japanese Photographs

Souvenirs of Japan

When travel to Japan became fashionable in the late 19th century, hand-colored albumen prints made a popular souvenir for visitors. Primarily in the port city of Yokohama, studios sold Yokohama-shashin (Yokohama Photographs) as stock images and assembled them in large, beautifully lacquered albums. The most popular image types were Japanese landscapes, people (especially women), and scenes of everyday life. The BMA’s photographs are attributed to the studio of Kusakabe Kimbei (1841-1934), one of the best known Yokohama photographers, and are still mounted in their original album.

Featured Works


Samurai (.6, recto); Hair Dressing in Japan (.7, verso)
Samurai (.6, recto); Hair Dressing in Japan (.7, verso)
Winter Costume (.4, recto); Shinto Priest (.5, verso)
Winter Costume (.4, recto); Shinto Priest (.5, verso)
Theatre Street, Yokohama (.22, recto); Noge Hill, Yokohama (.23, verso)
Theatre Street, Yokohama (.22, recto); Noge Hill, Yokohama (.23, verso)
Selling Flowers (.20, recto); Ferry Boat (.21, verso)
Selling Flowers (.20, recto); Ferry Boat (.21, verso)
Dancing Party
Orange Shop (.16, recto); Planting Rice (.17, verso)
Orange Shop (.16, recto); Planting Rice (.17, verso)
Sleeping Girls (.14, recto); Westside Resting Place (.15, verso)
Sleeping Girls (.14, recto); Westside Resting Place (.15, verso)
Dancing Party
Shiba at Tokio
View of Yumoto at Nikko
Tonosawa, Hakone
Temple In Park at Osaka