Felice Beato's Japan

by Chris MaGee

Here's the second story of the day that fans of Japanese cinema and culture might find of interest. I tracked down a website that features dozens of vintage photographs by 19th-century Corfiote Italian (born on the Greek island of Corfu) photographer Felice Beato. Beato was a world traveler and one of the first photojournalists in history, having shot images of the Crimean War (1854-1856) and the Indian Rebellion of 1857 before moving onto China in 1860 to photograph the last few months of the Second Opium War (1856-1860). From China he made the astounding move of traveling to Japan which in 1863 was still four years off from officially lifting its strict policy of isolation enforced by the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate. Beato set up several photography studios with his partner Charles Wirgman, as well as being involved in other business ventures in Yokohama, the city he would call home until his departure from Japan in 1884.

Click here to visit "Felice Beato's Japan: People" an electronic album of the photographer's work assembled by the Smith College Museum of Art of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There are some truly stunning hand-tinted photographs that are not only beautiful works of art, but also provide a wealth of visual information for anyone interested in Japanese history. Also check out the video care of YouTube below with even more examples of Beato's work.