Lot Essay
A fine album comprising several costume and occupational studies including portraits of geisha, Buddhist priests, Japanese wrestlers, one of a Japanese man in western dress, mothers with their children, musicians, a doctor, tattooed men, two of Ainos, workers and one of women at their toilet.
Several of the images in this album are from negatives by Beato while many are Stillfried's own work. In 1877, Beato sold his studio and stock to the Austrian, Baron Raimund von Stillfried-Ratenicz and his partner H. Andersen and in the 1880s, the accumulated stock of Beato and Stillfried was sold again. Most stock went to the Italian photographer Alphonso Farsari, but Kusakabe Kimbei, who had previously been one of Stillfried's assistants, also bought a quantity of photographs. Each photographer continued to sell prints from the negatives of the earlier photographers alongside his own work.
Several of the images in this album are from negatives by Beato while many are Stillfried's own work. In 1877, Beato sold his studio and stock to the Austrian, Baron Raimund von Stillfried-Ratenicz and his partner H. Andersen and in the 1880s, the accumulated stock of Beato and Stillfried was sold again. Most stock went to the Italian photographer Alphonso Farsari, but Kusakabe Kimbei, who had previously been one of Stillfried's assistants, also bought a quantity of photographs. Each photographer continued to sell prints from the negatives of the earlier photographers alongside his own work.