kusakabe kimbei, a renowned japanese photographer, was born in 1841. he adopted the given name kimbei for his clientele, comprising mostly non-japanese-speaking foreign residents and visitors, who found it easier to pronounce than his family name. kimbei's photographic journey began with his work alongside felice beato, a british photographer of italian descent, and baron raimund von stillfried, an austrian photographer. in 1881, kimbei established his own workshop in yokohama, japan, which later relocated to the honmachi quarter in 1889.
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 an accordion fashion. some notable works by kimbei can be found in the collection of the national 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.
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