Images approximately 8x10", most captioned and numbered in the negative, mounted on both sides of 12x15¼" card stock leaves, lacquered wood covers with floral motif, with metal bird affixed to front cover, all edges gilt, leather spine. Images include: Nagasaki, Iwakuni, Inland Sea, Hyogo, Kobe, Osaka, Lake Biwa, Nara, Kyoto, Nagoya, Shizuoka, Hakone, Enoshima, Kamakura, Yokohama, Tokyo, Nikko, and the ever popular ladies engages in assorted activites (11 photographs).
An important album containing an interesting mixture of landscapes, cities, temples, beautiful views, portraits and occupational studies of Japan circa 1885. Some of the photographs can be attributed with confidence to Kusakabe Kimbei - in particular the last one showing two Japanese ladies exchanging greetings - and to Ueno Hikoma. It is believed that Kusakabe was at an early state in his career, apprenticed to Beato or Stillfried, working initially as a photo colorist and then as an assistant. He could have been an assistant to both men, since Stillfried took over Beato's studio in 1877. Kusakabe operated his own studio in Yokohama from 1881, and in 1895 managed to acquire a number of Beato and Stillfried negatives, which were reprinted with some regularity in his albums. He must also have purchased some of Ueno Hikoma's negatives of Nagasaki. At least one appears in this album. An almost indecipherable stamp at the top left of the inside cover reads in part: "...cho dori. Yokohama." It is known that Kusakabe had studios in Yokohama on Bentendori in 1881 and finally a permanent home at Honmachi in 1889. Perhaps this album was purchased at some date at another temporary Yokohama address between 1881 and 1889.
Condition:
Cover once had a second metal bird and a metal flower affixed to it, now lost, some tiny nicks at corners of cover, and at fore edge of board leaves; very good.