The area between Isezakicho and Nigiwai-cho was known among foreigners as Theater Street. Since around 1877 (Meiji 10), the street was filled with theaters, teahouses and restaurants which attracted lots of crowds and made this one of Yokohama’s most lively areas of the middle of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). This photograph shows the area around Isami-za theater (勇座) in Matsugae-cho (松ヶ枝町, current Isezaki-cho 2-chome) as it looked sometime between 1887 (Meiji 20) and 1897 (Meiji 30). In 1899 (Meiji 32) the area burnt down and all this vanished forever.

How come these photos are in color?

# Tornadoes28 · 2008-10-03

Japan secretly invented color film long before the West. No just kidding! Photographers in Japan hired artists to color their photographs. Many of these artists used to work as woodblock colorists so they were very well-skilled. They also used special water colors that allowed the photo to shine through. At the time, this work was very highly regarded in the West and even received several awards. It is really beautiful, isn’t it?

# Kjeld Duits · 2008-10-03

The coloring is very well done.

# Tornadoes28 · 2008-10-04

And this is how it looks over a hundred years after the coloring was actually done. The chemicals of the pigments, paper, air and humidity have had the freedom to interact for more than a century and this usually doesn’t make the photo look any better. When the images were still fresh, the coloring was exquisitely soft and gentle. I recently was able to acquire some images that for some reason were in much better condition than any of the other images in my collection and I was flabbergasted. It is lifelike and almost fragile in a way, and oh so beautiful.

# Kjeld Duits · 2008-10-04

For more detailed information about albumen photos and their coloring I can recommend the following articles:

• NINETEENTH CENTURY JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY: TECHNIQUES, CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION (by Annabelle SIMON, Photograph Restorer)

• SCIENCE OF ALBUMEN & ALBUMEN PRINTS (Stanford University)

# Kjeld Duits · 2008-10-04