Kimbei Kusakabe

early life and career

Kusakabe Kimbei (日下部金兵衛, Kusakabe Kimbei? 1841 – 1934) fue un fotógrafo japonés. Normalmente usaba su nombre Kimbei, que era más fácil de recordar y pronunciar que su apellido Kusakabe. Muchos de sus clientes eran extranjeros.

Kimbei trabajó en los estudios de Felice Beato y von Stillfried como colorista o iluminador de positivos fotográficos, coloreando las copias a mano. Fue asistente antes de abrir su propio taller en yokohama en 1881. También abrió una sucursal en el barrio Honmachi.

photographic style and notable works

Kimbei's photography style was characterized by its traditional bijinga approach, often featuring japanese women. He hired geisha to pose for his photographs, which were popular among tourists at the time. Many of his albums are mounted in un accordion fashion.

Some notable works by Kimbei can be found in the collection of the nacional gallery of victoria (melbourne, australia), including a photograph titled no title (couple with a cabinet photograph and ghost in background). This piece is a testament to kimbei's unique blend of traditional japanese aesthetics and early photographic techniques.

felice beato and kimbei kusakabe

Felice Beato y Kimbei Kusakabe, Photographers of 1800s Japan

The mid-to-late 1800s marked a shift in Japanese history: the Meiji Restoration. The old guard, the Tokugawa Shogunate, with their isolationist attitudes were overthrown, and Japan began a miraculous modernization movement. When you consider the shift, it is amazing. Japan went from being primarily agriculturally-based in 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry of the US forced Japan to open to trade to the modernized military juggernaut of World War II just 86 years later.

legacy and influence

Kimbei acquired the negatives of Felice Beato y von Stillfried. He also obtained some of Ueno Hikoma's negatives of Nagasaki.

Kimbei’s retirement as a photographer in 1914 marked the end of an era in japanese photography.