E.G. Stillman’s Japanese Photograph Albums
Jan 15th, 2015 by bachmann
Dr. E.G. (Ernest Goodrich) Stillman, son of successful banker James Stillman, received degrees from Harvard and Columbia before pursuing a career in medical research. A devoted philanthropist and conservationist, Stillman was a generous benefactor of Harvard University. Like many Americans at the end of the 19th century, Stillman was drawn to Japan for its art, literature, culture, and history. During a trip to Japan in 1905, he purchased some 5,000 objects, including prints, photographs, books, and pamphlets. In the 1940s, Stillman made a large gift to the university, including a number of items from his personal collection of materials relating to Japan. Some of the photograph albums he donated contain hand-colored albumen prints taken by notable photographers such as Felice Beato, Baron Raimund von Stillfried, Kusakabe Kimbei, and Tamamura Kozaburo. These photo albums were popular souvenir items for foreign tourists. The albums would often include images of priests, pilgrims, actors, singers, street vendors, along with representative locations ranging from the urban markets to parks and gardens to spiritual shrines.
In this two album set from the Meiji period are scenic views of Tokyo, Koganei, Yokohama, Kamakura, Kobe, Matsushima Bay, and Awaji Island. Beautiful photographs of natural scenery, people, daily life, traditional customs, with iconic images of cherry trees, gardens, temples, shrines, teahouses, ferries, and rickshaws.
In another three album composite souvenir set are photographs taken in and around the inland city of Nikko, with an emphasis on the historic Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.
- Description:
- Japanese photographs of the Meiji period [graphic]. 1868-1897? 2 albums.
- Persistent Link:
- http://id.lib.harvard.edu/aleph/008800120/catalog
- Repository:
- Widener Library
- Institution:
- Harvard University
- Description:
- Photographs relating to Japan, 1898 [graphic]. ca. 1880-ca. 1895. 3 albums.
- Persistent Link:
- http://id.lib.harvard.edu/aleph/008775846/catalog
- Repository:
- Widener Library
- Institution:
- Harvard University
A slideshow of this collection is available at:
- Stillman Photograph Albums of Japan – Slideshow
Additional information on E.G. Stillman’s collections and access to the photograph albums is available at:
Source: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/preserving/2015/01/15/e-g-stillmans-japanese-photograph-albums/
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