The recent explosion in interest in historical photography from Asia has revealed just how little is known about its photographic achievements outside the continent. The same can be said for the history of Japanese photography. Much of what we do know revolves around a handful of western photographers whose Yokohama-based practices catered mostly to other foreign residents. New research has uncovered stories of photographers previously unknown outside their territories to help us reinterpret the pragmatic and idealistic uses of photography in the rapidly industrializing Japanese visual economy.
Celio Barreto will discuss key points in the photographic development of Edo and Meiji Eras through images and objects he has studied in the rare book collections in the Bishop White Committee Library of East Asia, and The Royal Ontario Museum’s Asian Photography collection. Join us for these rare and valuable insights into material and production practices during one of the most revolutionary periods in the Land of The Rising Sun.
