Lost Japan

Felice Beato was one of the first European photographers to work in Eastern Asia, where he spent most of his life. In 1863 he moved to Yokohama, Japan, where he opened a photography school, the School of Yokohama. He is considered the most important photographer of the Edo period. His work was the subject of an exhibition at the Paul Getty Museum in 2011.

The photographs published in this volume are drawn from two different albums created by Beato covering a period from 1860-1890. The photographs by Beato will be complemented by some additional images taken by his students at the School of Yokohama, including his most well-known protegee, Kimbei Kusakabe.

The volume is organised in four thematic chapters: Female Beauty, featuring geishas and women in traditional dress and women at their toilet; Warriors, featuring samurai, soldiers, sumo fighters, and male workers; Places of the Soul, which includes interiors, gardens, and landscapes; and Rituals and Habits, including the theatre, tea ceremonies, and other traditional ceremonies.