Hand-Colored Views of Meiji-Era Japan by Felice Beato and Kusakabe Kimbei
By the late 1800s, travelers arriving in Japan often wanted something more memorable than a written travel diary.
Photography albums filled with hand-colored albumen prints became some of the most sought-after souvenirs of the era, combining photography, artistry, and cultural documentation in a way that still appeals to collectors today.
In May 2023, Britannic Auctions sold this 1880s photography album for $950. The album contained 47 original hand-colored albumen prints depicting scenes from Japan during a period of enormous cultural and social change. The photographs were created by two of the most recognizable names associated with early Japanese photography: Felice Beato and Kusakabe Kimbei.
The album is filled with carefully composed images showing daily life, traditional customs, landscapes, and cultural landmarks. Many of the photographs were enhanced by hand after printing, with color applied by skilled artists to bring clothing, architecture, and scenery to life.
Felice Beato and Kusakabe Kimbei: Two Pioneers of Japanese Photography
Collectors of early Japanese photography don't need much introduction to the names Felice Beato and Kusakabe Kimbei.
Felice Beato (1832-1909) was among the first photographers to introduce Japan to Western audiences through photography. His images of Japanese landscapes, architecture, customs, and daily life became widely known and helped establish a market for Japanese photography that still exists today.
Kusakabe Kimbei (1841-1934) started his career as a photographic colorist before opening his own studio in Yokohama. He became particularly well known for beautifully hand-colored photographs that blended photography with traditional artistic techniques.
Many collectors first discover these photographers through a single print. Before long, they're looking for complete albums.
A Walk Through Japan in the 1880s
One thing that makes albums like this enjoyable is the variety.
Leafing through the pages feels a bit like traveling across Japan in the 1880s. One image might show a geisha in formal dress. Turn the page and there's a Kabuki performer. A few pages later you'll find a temple, a lake view, or a religious ceremony.
Subjects included:
- Geisha portraits
- Kabuki theater performers
- Shinto offerings and ceremonies
- Funeral processions
- The Great Gate of Nikko
- Chiusenji Lake
- Scenic landscapes and cultural landmarks
The famous sights are here, but so are the everyday moments. That's often what collectors enjoy most. These photographs show not only what Japan looked like, but what photographers and travelers thought was worth remembering.
Albumen prints were a hallmark of 19th-century photography, valued for their high detail and tonal depth. The process involved coating paper with egg whites and silver nitrate to make it light-sensitive.
Hand-coloring was often added to enhance the visual impact, resulting in vivid, painterly scenes that stand the test of time.
Why Hand-Colored Albumen Prints Never Go Out of Style
Photography collectors have plenty of options when it comes to nineteenth-century processes, but hand-colored albumen prints have always had a special following.
The photographs begin with the sharp detail and warm tones that albumen prints are known for. Then skilled artists added color by hand, bringing clothing, architecture, and landscapes to life.
The result sits somewhere between a photograph and a painting.
Even collectors who own thousands of photographs often pause when they come across a particularly well-colored albumen print.
What the Market Says About Early Japanese Photography
Collectors have been chasing quality examples of early Japanese photography for a long time, and there's no sign of that changing.
As one comparison, an album containing 26 photographs of Japanese portraits and views dating to approximately 1868 sold at auction in 2022 for approximately $2,750.
In another sale, a group of four hand-tinted albumen prints attributed to Felice Beato depicting Japanese women realized $313 at auction in 2018.
Of course, no two albums are exactly alike. Photographer attribution, condition, subject matter, size, presentation, and provenance all play a role. Still, sales like these show the steady interest collectors continue to have in nineteenth-century Japanese photography.
Your Antique Photo Album Could Be the Next Auction Highlight
Thinking of consigning an item like these antique albumen prints? Tell us about your item or collection and get a free auction estimate today.
Own a Photography Album Like This?
Albums like this come to market in all sorts of ways. Sometimes they're inherited from a family member. Just as often, they come from longtime collectors who have spent years building a collection and are ready to downsize, refine their focus, or pass material along to the next custodian.
If you own a Japanese photography album, hand-colored albumen prints, travel photography, or other nineteenth-century photographs, Britannic Auctions can provide a free evaluation and discuss auction consignment options.
Collect Historic Photography?
Collectors who appreciate albums like this know how difficult it can be to find quality nineteenth-century photography. Complete albums, hand-colored albumen prints, and photographs by names such as Felice Beato and Kusakabe Kimbei continue to attract strong interest whenever they appear on the market.
If historic photography is one of your collecting interests, join our auction-alert mailing list to hear about upcoming photography auctions and newly discovered photographic collections.
