TAKABOKO, [PAPENBUERG] NAGASAKI. No. 1401. Together with: VIEW OF NAGASAKI [Bay]

[Japan ca. 1880's]. Two hand-colored albumen photographs, very clean, pastel colors 26.5 x 20 cm., mounted on a board, solid, nice clear images. Nicely done. . *** WHO WAS THE PHOTOGRAPHER TAMAMURA KOZABURO: . Tamamura Kozaburo [1856-1923?] had a photography shop in the Asakusa area of Tokyo, in 1881 relocated to Yokohama. He worked in his Yokohama studio & provided images, albums and photographic service to both Japanese and mostly his foreign clients by 1881. His family were hereditary retainers to the Hoshino of Rinnoji, a branch of the Imperial family whose head had served as chief priest to the main temple in Nikko since 1654 ergo his interest in taking photographs of the temples there. . His business thrived with the sudden influx of foreigners to Japan and he gained a reputation as a very skilled professional & provided large orders for glass slide & photographs to universities of Cambridge & Chicago. . He was internationally renown and was commissioned to provide the stunning figure of 180,000 albumen hand-colored photographs of Japan for the book by F. Brinkley: JAPAN: DESCRIBED AND ILLUSTRATED BY THE JAPANESE. . *** His photographs are an excellent record of an earlier Japan, capturing the Japanese as they were, in native dress, the scenery and life styles of the period. * Although these photographs are not signed, which is a common feature for most all early period Japanese photos. The photos have the 'distinct look' of Tamamura's style of composition and photographic 'markers.' . *** THE IMAGES OF NAGASKI: . Takaboko shows the snake-like straits with a small island in the bay, and a few small sail boats entering the straits, a tiny hamlet lies at the foot of a hill along the banks, with a moored sail boat. . Terraced rice paddies climb up the hillside with pine trees, quite charming & calm effect. . VIEW OF NAGASAKI showing the title & number is printed in the negative in the lower left corner. On the verso [back side] is another identical sized hand-colored albumen photograph with a title printed on a separate paper: "VIEW OF NAGASAKI." This is laid down at the lower right corner. . This is a stunning early panoramic view of Nagasaki Bay from a Shinto shrine at the water's edge. The city of Nagasaki appears on the opposite side of the harbor. An unusually shaped tall pine trees surround the shrine, with a red Torii gate. Adjacent is a granite Torii gate at the waterfront. A single and solid stone lantern stands nearby. . Several smaller Japanese sailing ships [junks/sampans] are anchored with tall masts visible. An excellent image, sharp, with a tiny bit of red used, else other colors are in pastel shades. . *** REFERENCESS: . The following are some useful bibliographies to consult for more information on this album and Japanese early photography in general: * BENNETT, Terry. EARLY JAPANESE IMAGES, see p.51 & #'s 456,560 p.151 for similar items. . BENNETT, Terry. OLD JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHS: COLLECTORS' DATA GUIDE. * H. Bayou; FELICE BEATO ET L'ECOLE DE YOKOHAMA. JAPANISCHE PHOTOGRAPHIE 1860-1929. * H. Cortazzi: JAPAN CAUGHT IN TIME. * [Feliz Beato/R. von Stillfried]: ONCE UPON A TIME: Visions of Old Japan from the Photos of Beato and Stillfried & the Words of Pierre Loti. * Claudia G. Philipp et al: FELICE BEATO IN JAPAN: Photographien zum Ende der Feudalzeit 1863-1873. * C. Worswick: JAPAN PHOTOPGRAPHS 1854-1905. * Philipp March & Claudia Delank: THE ADVENTURE OF JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY 1860-1890. * LA LEGGENDA DI UN IMPERO: Felice Beato e la scuola fotogarfica di Yokohama alla scoperta del Giappone 1860/1900 for more useful details, valuable images and information. * Tamamura Kozaburo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamamura_K%C5%8Dzabur%C5%8D *** Color scans of this and most items are posted to our website. . *** .