The Executioner of Kanagawa, 1863-1866 (photo)

The following photographs are all from the 1863-1866 period and form a very early and comprehensive collection of “types” and personalities. The negatives were infrequently printed and presumably destroyed in the Yokohama fire of November 26, 1866. The coloring on these pictures is markedly different than is commonly attributed to the Beato studio and its later studio productions – many “photographic situations” (ie. women posed with musical instruments against decorative screens, a woman dressing her hair in a mirror, the painted backdrop of Fuji with both men and women dressed in pilgrim’s costume) became later literally “set pieces” of 19th century photographer’s studio work this “vision” - first enunciated and begun by Beato - had its echoes well through the rest of the 19th century into the 20th century.