Photography in Japan 1853-1912 - by Terry Bennett (Hardcover)

About the Book

A unique visual history

Book Synopsis

Photography in Japan 1853-1912 is a fascinating visual record of Japanese culture during its metamorphosis from a feudal society to a modern, industrial nation at a time when the art of photography was still in its infancy. The 350 rare and antique photos in this book, most of them published here for the first time, chronicle the introduction of photography in Japan and early Japanese photography. The images are more than just a history of photography in Japan; they are vital in helping to understand the dramatic changes that occurred in Japan during the mid-nineteenth century.

These rare Japanese photographs--whether sensational or everyday, intimate or panoramic--document a nation about to abandon its traditional ways and enter the modern era. Taken between 1853 and 1912 by the most important Japanese and foreign photographers working in Japan, this is the first book to document the history of early photography in Japan a comprehensive and systematic way.

Review Quotes

Photography in Japan 1835-1912 took on a life of its own, and ended up falling into place as a true picture of photography in Japan, with all of its warts and formats shown in their ebb and flow during the first 60 years after the country came out of its centuries of sleep, and into the modern world...Readers who have a love for old photography in general, and stereo views specifically, will not be disappointed by this new portrait of old Japan. --Rob Oechsle, Stereo World magazine

Photography in Japan gives quite an in depth and amazing look into both the photography at the time and also the photographers behind the scene. Every time I open the book at a random page, I find something new to think about. --Shibuya 246 blog

Impressive overview of the history of Japanese photography between 1853 and 1912...Bennett has been collecting and researching the pioneering years of Japanese photography for 25 years...Essential publication for everyone interested in early Japanese photography. --Society for Japanese Arts Newsletter

Let me say from the outset, if you're looking for a giant book filled with old pictures of Japan, this isn't it. It's more. Photography in Japan: 1853-1912 is a masterwork of Japanese photography history based primarily on the original research of one man: Terry Bennett. I dove into the book expecting to simply thumb through each page, freshly taking in each photo without context. But what I found was a Ken Burns documentary on paper. This book is as much about the photographers as the photos themselves. -- Tofugu.com blog

Reading British writer Terry Bennett's Photography in Japan: 1853-1912 is like traveling back in time to the 19th century of Japan, from the late Edo or Bakumatsu period to the end of the Meiji era. [...] The 400 old and rare Japanese photos Bennett has collected in this book -- whether sensational or everyday, intimate or panoramic -- document a nation's rapid transformation from a feudal society to a modern, industrial state. --Shanghai Daily

The book is a fascinating treasure trove of information and artifacts, which I found surprisingly engaging and entertaining for the reader. The lifestyles and work ethics of the personalities involved make it a very vivid read. --Japan Exposures blog

The extensive collection of valuable photographs in this book and its text might be described as a visual record of our native land during that period, a record that has been lost to us since so many early photographs left Japan. With this book, Mr. Bennett has performed a significant service in encouraging people today to reconsider those photographs' value. --Message announcing Photography in Japan 1853 - 1912 as the Winner of the 2007 International Award of the Photographic Society of Japan

Writer Bennett crafted this beautiful and educational book from a collection of 350 old and rare images captured by Western photographers. This book offers a glimpse of life in Japan during one of its most dramatic periods in history. --Shutterbug magazine

About the Author

Author Terry Bennett, a British writer based in London, has been collecting and researching nineteenth-century Japanese, Chinese, and Korean photography for many years. His books include Early Japanese Images, Korea: Caught in Time and, with Hugh Cortazzi, Japan: Caught in Time.