Color Collotype Books
Published by T. Takagi, Kobe

Famous Scenes in Japan
(50 Color plates)
Large Deluxe Edition

 
Takagi Photo Co.:
Famous Scenes in Japan, Kobe, "Takagi Photo Co., Kobe, Japan," no colophon, not dated but ca 1919, oblong 4to (13 3/4 x 10 in - 35 x 26 cm), English descriptive captions, 50 plates with hand colored collotype prints tipped to plate, no tissue guards, boards in silk (padded), spine covered, two decorative cord ties, all edges gilt, unpaginated. The collotype images are approximately 9 x 6 in (22.8 x 15.1 cm). The actual plates are a pliable textured card stock. It appears that the textured paper is laid down on thin card stock. Views of scenic spots throughout Japan.

Plates are one per side. The caption is printed below the tipped on collotype image.

This is the largest T. Takagi book I have examined. The standard Takagi books are 8vo (10 x 7 in). This book is 4to (13 3/4 x 10 in). The image size in the 8vo books is approximately 6 x 4 inches. In this 4to book the image size is approximately 9 x 6 inches, 125% larger than the standard book images.

 
Title Page


All Plates.

    1. Chryptomeria avenue at Nikko
       
       
    2. The stable at Iyeyasu temple, Nikko
       
       
    3. Yomeinon gate at Nikko  
       
       
    4. Wood carving of three monkies at Nikko
       
        
    5. The interior of Iemitsu Temple at Nikko
       
       
    6. Matsushima
       
       
    7. Cherry blossoms at Sendai Park
              
    
    8. Saruhashi (Monkey Bridge) at Koshu
              
    
    9. Imperial palace at Tokyo
              
    
   10. Ueno park at Tokio
       
   
   11. Lotus pond at Uyeno Park, Tokyo
       
       
   12. Iris garden at Horikiri, Tokio
       
       
   13. Wistaria blossoms at Kameido, Tokio
       
       
   14. Picking Tea
       
         
   15. The Landing place of Yokohama
       
       
   16. Canal of Yokohama
       
       
   17. View of Enoshima
       
       
   18. Fuji-yama from Shizu-ura
       
       
   19. The castle at Nagoya, one of the most famous castles in Japan
       
       
   20. Rice planting
       
       
   21. An old pine tree at Karasaki near lake Biwa
       
   
   22. Higashi Honganji temple, at Kioto
       
      
   23. Sanjo bridge at Kioto
       
   
   24. Ginkakuji temple at Kioto
       
  
   25. Cherry dance at Kioto
       
 
   26. Heian Jingu, the new temple at Kioto
       
 
   27. A wet day at Arashiyama, the lower part of the Hodzu rapids, Kioto
       
 
   28. Hodzu rapids at Kioto
       
   
   29. Kago
       
 
   30. Sarusawa pond at Nara
       
 
   31. Kasuga park at Nara
       
    
   32. Nakanoshima at Osaka
       
 
   33. Ladies at the Tea House
       
 
   34. Motomachi, the mail st at Kobe
       
 
   35. Ikuta temple at Kobe
       

   36. Jinrikisha at Kobe
       
       
   37. Numobiki waterfall Kobe
       
       
   38. Daibutsu at Kobe
       
       
   39  Sumadera temple near Kobe
       
   
   40. Primative irrigating wheel
       
   
   41. In the park of Okayama/It is one of the three parks in Japan
       
   
   42. Inland-Sea
       
   
   43. Nursing the Baby
       
    
   44. "Torii" dipped in the sea Miyajima in Inland Sea
       
       
   45. Kintaikyo bridge at Iwakuni near Miyajima
       
   
   46. Peonies
       
 
   47. A Japanese sailing junk
       
   
   48. A basket peddler
       
 
   49. A farmer's aboad 
          
   
   50. Nagasaki harbour
        


Listing of Plates without images.

       1. Chryptomeria avenue at Nikko
       2. The stable at Iyeyasu temple, Nikko
       3. Yomeinon gate at Nikko  
       4. Wood carving of three monkies at Nikko
       5. The interior of Iemitsu Temple at Nikko
       6. Matsushima
       7. Cherry blossoms at Sendai Park
       8. Saruhashi (Monkey Bridge) at Koshu
       9. Imperial palace at Tokyo
      10. Ueno park at Tokio
      11. Lotus pond at Uyeno Park, Tokyo
      12. Iris garden at Horikiri, Tokio
      13. Wistaria blossoms at Kameido, Tokio
      14. Picking Tea
      15. The Landing place of Yokohama
      16. Canal of Yokohama
      17. View of Enoshima
      18. Fuji-yama from Shizu-ura
      19. The castle at Nagoya, one of the most famous castles in Japan
      20. Rice planting
      21. An old pine tree at Karasaki near lake Biwa
      22. Higashi Honganji temple, at Kioto
      23. Sanjo bridge at Kioto
      24. Ginkakuji temple at Kioto
      25. Cherry dance at Kioto
      26. Heian Jingu, the new temple at Kioto
      27. A wet day at Arashiyama, the lower part of the Hodzu rapids, Kioto
      28. Hodzu rapids at Kioto
      29. Kago
      30. Sarusawa pond at Nara
      31. Kasuga park at Nara
      32. Nakanoshima at Osaka
      33. Ladies at the Tea House
      34. Motomachi, the mail st at Kobe
      35. Ikuta temple at Kobe
      36. Jinrikisha at Kobe
      37. Numobiki waterfall Kobe
      38. Daibutsu at Kobe
      39  Sumadera temple near Kobe
      40. Primative irrigating wheel
      41. In the park of Okayama/It is one of the three parks in Japan
      42. Inland-Sea
      43. Nursing the Baby
      44. "Torii" dipped in the sea Miyajima in Inland Sea
      45. Kintaikyo bridge at Iwakuni near Miyajima
      46. Peonies
      47. A Japanese sailing junk
      48. A basket peddler
      49. A farmer's aboad
      50. Nagasaki harbour

 

 
General Comments Regarding Tamamura/Takagi Photographic Studio and Color Collotype Books.

  • Tamamura Photography Studio in Kobe ca 1907.


    Photo Courtesy of Kjeld Duits
    Journalism & Photography from Tokyo, Japan
    http://www.duits.co/

  • English language attribution statements found in colophons.

    1. "Published by Tamamura, Photographer, Kobe, Japan" (first/last confirmed use - 1898/1907 (Meiji 40)).

      No. 16. Sannomiya, Kobe, Japan

       

    2. Tamamura colophon with an ink handstamps reading "T. Takagi." (only confirmed use - 1906 (Meiji 39), February. See: 1906, The Festival of the Ages, above.

       

    3. "Published by Tamamura, Photographer, Kobe, Japan, T. Takagi, Proprietor" (first/last confirmed use - 1907 (Meiji 40)/1909 (Meiji 42)). Colophon sometimes states "(Collotyped and hand colored.)"

       

    4. "'Tamamura,' Photographer and Art Publisher, No. 16, Sannomiyacho, Kobe, Japan, T. Takagi, Proprietor" (first/last confirmed use - c1907 (Meiji 40)). This destignation is also found on booklist slip inserted loose in The Rice in Japan published in 1907.

       

    5. "Published by Tamamura, Photographer, Kobe, Japan, T. Takagi, Proprietor" with an ink handstamp reading "T. Takagi" (in script letters) (only confirmed use - 1907 (Meiji 40). See: 1907, "The Transformation of Mother Earth from Nature to Art, above.

       

    6. "Published by Tamamura, Photographer, Kobe, Japan, T. Takagi, Proprietor" with an ink handstamp reading "T. Takagi." (in block letters) (only confirmed use - c1907 (Meiji 40). See: 1907, The "Ceremonial Tea" Observance in Japan, above.

       

    7. "Published by Tamamura, No 16, Sannomiyacho, Kobe, Japan, Photographer and Art Publisher, T. Takagi, Proprietor" (first/last confirmed use - 1908 (Meiji 41)/1908 (Meiji 41)).

       

    8. "Published by Tamamura, Photographic Studio and Art Gallery, No 42, Nishimachi, Kobe, Japan, T. Takagi, Proprietor" (first/last confirmed use - 1909 (Meiji 42)/1909 (Meiji 42)).

       

    9. "Published by Tamamura, Photographic Studio and Art Gallery, No 42, Nishimachi, Kobe, Japan, T. Takagi, Proprietor" with "T. Takagi" ink handstamp in English and Japanese (first/last confirmed use - 1909 (Meiji 42, July)/1909 (Meiji 42, July), A Wintry Tour Around Fujiyama).

       

    10. "Published by Tamamura, Photographic Studio and Art Gallery, No 42, Nishimachi, Kobe (Head Store) and No. 1 Sanjo, Furukawacho, Kioto (Branch Store), T. Takagi, Proprietor" (first/last confirmed use - 1912 (Meiji 45, April)/1912 (Meiji 45, April), Ceremonies of a Japanese Wedding, 4th Edition).

       

    11. "Published by Takagi Photo Co., T. Takagi Proprietor, No. 42, Nishimachi, Kobe, Japan" (first/last confirmed use - 1912 (Meiji 45, April)/1912 (Meiji 45, April), Ceremonies of a Japanese Wedding, 4th Edition).

       

    12. "Published by Takagi Photographic Studio & Art Gallery, No. 42, Nishimachi, Kobe, Japan" designation with no reference to Tamamura. (first/last confirmed use - 1913 (Taisho 2)/1927 (Taisho 16))

       

    13. "By T. Takagi Photographic Studio & Art Gallery" no address (first/last confirmed use - ca 1918). This designation is found on the title page of Hills of Kobe which contains no colophon.

       

    14. "By T. Takagi Photographic Studio & Art Gallery, Kobe & Kioto, Japan" contains Kioto as well as Kobe (first/last confirmed use - ca 1918). This designation is found on the title page of Views of Kioto which contains no colophon. It has the only reference to a Takagi operation in Kyoto that I have seen.

       

    15. "Published by Takagi Photo Co., T. Takagi, Proprietor, No. 42, Nishimachi, Kobe, Japan" (first/last confirmed use - 1919 (Taisho 8)/1920 (Taisho 9))

       

    16. "Takagi Photo Co., No. 42, Nishimachi, Kobe, Japan" (first/last confirmed use - 1927 (Taisho 16 /Showa 2))

       

    17. "Takagi Photo Co., Kobe, Japan" or "By T. Takagi, Kobe, Japan" designation with no address(first/last confirmed use - ca 1919/Unknown). These designations are found on the title page. Found in the 50 plate versions of Japanese Views and Characters which contain no colophon.

       

    18. Sayonara T. Takagi Photo Co. Rob Oechsle's comprehensive research into photography in Japan has established the date that the T. Takagi photographic and book publishing enterprise ceased operation. The date was March 4, 1924 as established by a notice published by the Futaba Shokai (Futaba Photographic Company), Takagi's successor. An image of that notice is here. Rob's website (T-Enami.org) is located here. I have not seen a book with the Futaba Shokai imprint. I have encountered several magic lantern glass slides with the Futaba imprint as well as black and white collotype picture post cards. The post cards carry a colorless embossed "Futaba, Kobe" imprint on the image side. It should be noted that there is an edition of The Tea in Japan which shows 1927 (Taisho 16 - actually Showa 2) as the date of publication.

       

  • Hand colored collotype prints (generally 10 or more per book).

  • Book Format/Size. Horizontal format, generally 8vo (7 x 10 1/2 in) but sometimes large 8vo (7 x 16 in). Books are configured in Western format and read from left to right.

  • Collotype Format/Size. Generally horizontal format images. Prints in the 8vo books have an image area of approximately 6 x 4 in. Images have English descriptive text printed below them. In some books the plates are separated by tissue guards but that is the exception rather than the rule.

    A Typical Collotype Plate

  • Covers/Bindings. Covers are generally hard (cardboard) and covered with a silk type fabric. The spine is covered with very thin paper. Often the covers have no illustrations are titling. Binding is generally accomplished by two string ties on the left edge. However, at least one book has been examined with a single string tie holding the covers and two string ties internally.

    Typical Cloth Over Cardboard Cover
    Double String Tied

    Typical Illustrated Cloth Over Cardboard Cover
    Single String Tied

    Similar unillustrated covers were also used.

    Deluxe Edition, Silk (padded) Over
    Cardboard Covers, Double String Tied

    Atypical Cloth Over Cardboards Cover with Recessed
    Watercolor Illustration, Double String Tied

    Atypical Illustrated Paper Over Cardboard Cover
    Single String Tied

     
  • Deluxe Editions. I have examined one book that was issued in regular and deluxe edition format. This is the 50 plate version of Japanese Views and Characters. Information regarding the standard edition book is here and information about the deluxe edition is here. The regular edition has the standard cloth over cardboard covers with a single tie. The deluxe edition has padded decorated silk over cardboard with double ties. The spine of the deluxe edition is covered with the same silk used on the boards and all edges are gilt. Additionally, the deluxe edition comes with a folding cover/case with two ivory type clasps. The contents of the regular and deluxe editions are identical.
  • Typical Book Condition. The fabric covering of the boards generally has loss of fabric in areas long the edges. The covers generally have scrapes and small tears. The paper on the spine is almost always badly broken or completely missing. String ties are often loose. I consider these normal conditions and do not rate a book below Good just based on these conditions. Sometimes these books are found with the covers cut back/trimmed leaving only approximately 1 inch on the binding/tie side. In this state the internal title page appears to be the outer cover of the book.

    A Cutback/Trimmed Cover
     

  • Who is "Tamamura the Photographer, Kobe"? This is the famous photographer Tamamura Kosaburo. Tamamura Kosaburo was in business during this period but his primary business location was in Yokohama, not Kobe. The K. Tamamura's studio was well know for it's work in hand coloring the albumen photographs (perhaps as many as 180,000) used in the 1897~8 Brinkley books. Tamamura Kosaburo was famous for his photographs which were generally produced as hand colored albumen (but sometime as collotype) photographs and marketed through his shop in Yokohama in the "tourist souvenir" trade. I have seen books with hand colored collotype prints by "Tamamura the Photographer, Kobe" dated as early as 1898. In his book Early Images of Japan, Terry Bennett notes that an advertisement in 1903 indicated that K. Tamamura had a branch office designated "No. 2 Kobe." In Old Japan, Catalogue No. 30, (Nov. 2000) Sebastian Dobson states that Tamamura Kosaburo "...established a branch in Kobe around 1900 (see lot 123)." Based on the information I have available, I confident that Tamamura Kosaburo is the same person as "Tamamura the Photographer of Kobe." This branch office of the Tamamura enterprise appears to have had two major roles. First, it served as a marketing agent for the line of goods that were also offered in Yokohama. Second, and most relevant to this web page, it was the focal point for the marketing (and probably manufacture) of collotype illustrated books.

  • The Transition from Tamamura, Photographer, Kobe to T. Takagi, Kobe. Terry Bennett has established precise documentation regarding the transition from Tamamura, Kobe to T. Takagi. The Japan Directory for 1903 lists "16, Sanchome (Kobe). K. Tamamura, Agent for Tamamura, Yokohama. Photographic Studio, T. Takagi, Manager." The directory for 1904 lists " K. Tamamura, 16, Sanchome (Kobe), Agent for Tamamura, Yokohama, Photographic Studio, T. Takagi, Proprietor." While the transfer occurred in late 1903 or early 1904, it appears Takagi did not use his own name in the colophons of the collotype books he marketed until around February of 1906 and did not drop the Tamamura name entirely until 1913. Takagi marketed a "Tamamura the Photgrapher, Kobe" book with a colophon date of 1907 (The School Life of Young Japan) with no mention of his name except in a loose slip advertisement. It is clear that Takagi marketed Tamamura's images and books, sometimes with his own imprint and sometimes without, long after he acquired ownership of Kobe enterprise.

  • Comparison with Known Kosaburo Tamamura Book. A known color collotype book published by Kosaburo Tamamura is A Leaf From the Diary of a Young Lady. For more information on this book, click here. The format and titling on the collotypes in this book are very similar to the Tamamura/Takagi books.

  • Glass Slides. Both Tamamura and Takagi marketed Japanese images on glass (magic lantern) slides. These were hand colored and measured approximately 3 1/4 x 4 in.

  • Kelly & Walsh Marketing. I have examined books between 1907 and 1916 which bear a Kelly & Walsh, 78 Main Street, Yokohama, bookseller's label at the upper left on the inside front cover.

 
Main page for the T. Takagi books, click here

 


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