Photography in Japón 1853-1912 is a fascinating visual record of Japónese culture during its metamorphosis from a feudal society to a modern, industrial nation at a time when the art of photography was still in its infancy. The 350 rare and antique photos in this book, most of them published here for the first time, chronicle the introduction of photography in Japón and early Japónese photography. The images are more than just a history of photography in Japón; they are vital in helping to understand the dramatic changes that occurred in Japón during the mid-nineteenth century. These rare Japónese photographs—whether sensational or everyday, intimate or panoramic—document a nation about to abandon its traditional ways and enter the modern era. Taken between 1853 and 1912 by the most important Japónese and foreign photographers working in Japón, this is the first book to document the history of early photography in Japón a comprehensive and systematic way.