[griddle]

Here are a series of images from a book titled 'Japan Described and Illustrated by the Japanese' from the 1890's. The photos at that time were actually hand colored individually and different printings of the book used different coloring of the photographs. The images are obviously staged. Exposure time was pretty lengthy back then and you could not capture action shots.





















The book contains 60 images so I might get more up. Some of them were shots of flower arrangements though.

[Ztcgtqvb]

Very interesting culture, I hope I'll get to visit Japan one day.

[zibTefapparia]

Really really nice. Does the book also have a lot of text. Or is it just images, with descriptions...?

[Beriilosal]

Really really nice. Does the book also have a lot of text. Or is it just images, with descriptions...?

I don't own the book. Sorry if I gave that impression. They are worth into the thousands of dollars. The newest reprint is even a limited edition that sells for US $1200 - 1400. I think some of the single volume editions can be had cheaper though.

I collect books but not of that caliber.


There is text though. Some editions of the book ran 10 volumes and I believe one edition even ran 15 volumes.

[immelawealecy]

I just saw that on my local e-Retailer. It is like RS 1890.

1890/50 =~ $37. Would it be the same thing, you are talking about. That is one volume. I guess there would be 3. But still cheap.

Click this.

Okay, I guess it is 12-15 volumes. Then it is quite a bit. But still manageable.

[Hedkffiz]

I just saw that on my local e-Retailer. It is like RS 1890.

1890/50 =~ $37. Would it be the same thing, you are talking about. That is one volume. I guess there would be 3. But still cheap.

Click this.

Okay, I guess it is 12-15 volumes. Then it is quite a bit. But still manageable.

Yeah that is not bad at all for a per volume price I think. The new one I was thinking of was put out by Folio Society and it is only one volume for over a grand. I wonder how often the book actually gets reprinted.

I guess it depends on things like the quality of the photographs used and binding and all that. Still for someone interested in checking the set out that has to be the way to go for the price.

---------- Post added 2012-03-27 at 11:35 ----------

Do you think that was the standard size for a Sumo wrestler back then? They are much larger now aren't they? I suppose those people could just be pretending to be Sumo's.

[SonicPs]

I think there is a standard. Those could be trainees.

[brorwargy]

This thread should have probably went in Human Variation. My mistake.

Some of the pictures look almost 3d to me. I wonder if that is an effect of the hand tinting of the images.

---------- Post added 2012-03-27 at 18:58 ----------

Check out the prices the two sets on here sold for seven years ago.$3,622.50 and $1,006.25.

http://www.aspireauctions.com/auction55/11091.html

Check out the 1885 Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam at the bottom. I would love to get a Rubaiyat.

I decided to post some more pictures even though they are not from the Japan book I do not believe. They fit right in though.

[Niiinioa]

Here are some more images from the book

[artofeyyy]

Here is a nice look with more old Japanese pictures.

http://www.t-enami.org/

[fuesquemill]

Ghostly. thanks.