23 HAND TINTED ALBUMEN PHOTOGRAPHS OF LATE 19TH CENTURY YOKOHAMA & JAPANESE WOME

[Yokohama 1880's, Kusakabe]. Green board album, black pages, 23 hand-colored albumen photographs, each mounted with Ace corners, album: 21 x 13.7 cm., very clean and solid, 1 photo per page, clear very good images, minimal fading. RARE ITEM! . *** **** *** . . EXCELLENT VIEWS OF YOKOHAMA IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY . . . A FASCINATING GROUP OF IMAGES WITH FOCUS ON . . . JAPANESE PORTRAITS BY THE LEADING YOKOHAMA PHOTOGRAPHER . . . KUSAKABI KIMBEI . *** THE PHOTOGRAPHER: The work is most likely that of celebrated Yokohama photographer, Kusakabe Kimbei. See below for details on him. . *** THE ALBUM: This is a typical green paper covered oblong album from U.S.A., with gold embossed title: POSTCARDS, with slotted black leaves. The album is in excellent condition, spine tied with a green satin string, the corners are a bit rubbed, an else excellent example. The album contains 23 images, each mounted in the corners, images easily removable. . *** THE 23 INDIVIDUAL IMAGES: . 1. With caption: "VIEW OF YOKOHAMA." Shows what looks like Benten Dori, with long bamboo banner flags advertising various stores & merchants. There are also some two and three storied building with windows or store signs. A lively street scent with many men wearing Haori, children in Kimono and a "Meiji" period influenced man wearing a western straw hat, typical of the genre. See our website for images posted: title.jpg and all others. . 2. Another view of the opposite end of Benten Dori, with lanterns and flags decorating the telephone poles, a few rickshaw pullers roaming the streets, ladies in Victorian style long dresses, accompanied by a min in top hat and black suit, a large dog seated in the middle of the street, and many other pedestrians walking along the gravel street. Two story houses along the street some with western style bay windows. See illus01.jpg . 3. A view of a residential street, with two story home, and a rickshaw man with woman passenger posing for the camera, along with the woman of the house and perhaps her gardener posing at the entrance. Clearly spring time with cherry blossoms on the front tree. See illus02.jpg . 4. Three women in Kimono inside of a room playing musical instruments: from the left the first two play a Shamisen and the last plays the Koto. With a nice Tokunoma in the background with scroll and flower arrangement. See illus03.jpg. . 5. Four women playing musical instruments: from the front: Koto, Shamisen, 3rd woman most likely a singer, as she looks at her song book, the last plays a Shamisen. With a nice Tokunoma in the background with scroll and flower arrangement. See illus04.jpg. . 6. A Japanese man, an itinerant ceramic pot seller and his over-loaded horse. The horse wears "Wara" [rice straw hooves protector-like 'shoes.' The man wears similar "Wara-ji" [rice straw sandals]. The ceramic pots are similarly wrapped in "Wara" to keep from rubbing or breaking. See illus05.jpg . 7. Three very young female children entertainers. Each is colorfully dressed in hat, Kimono, red Obi sash, Mompei [rural female pants], Tabi [socks] & Zoori [sandals]. Each sports a walking stick. These kids of children were typically acrobats, singers and gymnastic performers who roamed the streets. See illus06.jpg . 8. Two Japanese women pose for the camera, each wears a Kimono, hear decorations & Obi. Typical house wife examples. See illus 07.jpg . 9. A family traveling out side. From the left: the wife carries a small stand with paper for drawing and a lantern, the daughter carries her doll, the father carries a large box on his back and holds a scroll in his right hand. Most likely he is a salesman for art & painting materials. See illus08.jpg. . 10. Shows 4 photos, from the top left: Yoshiwara the house of prostitution, with three rickshaws being pulled with two seated young prostitute girls. Right top: Japanese girl weaving silk thread. Lower left: Three Japanese women doing house cleaning, each wears an elaborate Kimono. Lower right: A Japan. …