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| 1. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Self portrait of T. Enami in his Yokohama studio Stereoview, half, detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle One of at least two known variants originally photographed in 3-D. Photographer Herbert Ponting sent this and many other Enami images back to the USA to be published along with his own stereoviews taken in 1901 and early 1902. Good self-portraits of Japanese photographers from the Meiji era are hard to come by; this is certainly one of the better ones. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 2. |  | T. Enami 1908-1912 (ca) Formal portrait of Japanese Photographer T. Enami (1859-1929). Chinese characters read from right to left : Enami Nobukuni. Halftone Private collection of Rob Oechsle Published in K. Ogawa's 1913 book Sogyo Kinen Sanju Nenshi [A Celebration of Thirty Years in the Photography Business]. It was re-discovered by professional photographer and photo-historian Torin Boyd back in 1994, and first reprinted by Terry Bennett in his 2006 set of Japanese Photo Histories. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 3. |  | T. Enami 1900 (ca) Studio stamp for T. Enami Studio stamp Private collection of Rob Oechsle Found on reverse of ca.1900 large albumen of a Philippine view |
| 4. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Flower Girl Lantern slide, from a half-stereoview negative Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 5. |  | T. Enami 1910-1923 (ca) Young Girl with Fisherman Lantern slide Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 6. |  | T. Enami 1910-1923 (ca) The Cooper Lantern slide Private collection of Rob Oechsle Affixed under the glass is the standard label found on all post-1929 slides issued by T. Enami's son, Tamotsu, including re-issues of Meiji and Taisho-era images by T. Enami. (Slides from Enami's earliest 1892-95 period were all made from numbered album views, and do not carry any studio identification). It must be remembered that the studio at No.29 BENTENDORI [sometimes lowercase and hypenated 29 Benten-dori] was established by T. Enami during the last years of his life. The possibility exists that any No.29 slide not proven to be published by his son is one made by the master himself, under his supervision. For odd slides found without context, such precise dating or provenance is difficult to determine. Many times, though, groups of slides are found with circumstantial info that allows dating of the physical production of the slide itself (though not the date of the image it contains, which is usually an earlier image by T. Enami taken anywhere from 1892-1929). Such production dating clues include (1) knowledge of the cruise date(s) of the original owner of the slide sets, (2) order sheets that are sometimes found with the sets, or (3) dateable objects or events in the slide itself. Post-1929 images that are not by T. Enami are usually amateur views by the tourist, and not the processor/printer Tamotsu. In any case, most No.29 Benten-Dori T. Enami slides, although sold by his son, are made by the same darkroom staff and colorists that worked under the elder Enami's strict supervision prior to his death. |
| 7. |  | T. Enami 1895 (ca) A Farmer and his Wife Stereoview, half, detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle This same image was chosen for inclusion in "Odyssey: The Art of Photography at National Geographic" (1988), where it appeared in black and white as a full half-stereoview. |
| 8. |  | T. Enami 1892-1895 (ca) Priests with their umbrella-man Lantern slide Private collection of Rob Oechsle This early exterior study is one of over twenty T. Enami images used by Burton Holmes to illustrate the Japan portion of his best-selling, multi-volume Travelogue series. The early book sets, first published in 1901, were careful to credit all photographers whose images filled the pages; however, this one slipped by without credit. For Holmes' book, the plate-makers removed all background material in the image, leaving only the four figures with their umbrella. Such image manipulation was common in a era where the old artists and engravers were being called on to prepare half-tone plates from photographs. (Such an image appearing as a "wood engraving" would also most likely have little or no background). After many years, the Travelogue publisher erased all photographer credit lines from beneath the images. This eventually led some later publications that used the Burton Holmes Collection to erroneously attribute to Holmes the work of many Japanese (and some American) photographers. Holmes biographer, Genoa Caldwell, has done much to correct these errors of attribution. |
| 9. |  | T. Enami 1892-1897 (ca) The Charcoal Carrier Lantern slide, vignette, from a half-stereoview negative Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 10. |  | T. Enami 1895-1900 (ca) S 393 Repairing an old wooden clog Lantern slide, from half-stereoview negative Private collection of Rob Oechsle Slide with original S number strip-label ["S" indicating it was made from a Stereoview]. Any anonymous slides with an S-Number are vintage 19th Century slides by T. Enami. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 11. |  | T. Enami 1892-1895 (ca) The Broom Seller Lantern slide, reduced from a large-format album view Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 12. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) The Tea Dryers Lantern slide, from a half-stereoview negative Private collection of Rob Oechsle A difficult situation requiring the careful balancing of an exterior light source to produce a richly graded interior scene. The delicacy of the rising steam is preserved in the midst of all. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 13. |  | T. Enami 1895 (ca) Kendo kids Stereoview, half, vignette Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 14. |  | T. Enami 1892-1895 (ca) Yokohama Prostitutes Lantern slide, from a large-format album view Private collection of Rob Oechsle Here we have a group of very nice, sweet, young ladies who would be vilified and refused popular exposure in the west, but in Japan were a very hot item for postcards, album views, 3-D, and lantern-slides. Their images were everywhere. In all the respectable souvenir and postcard shops, their pictures could be snapped up by the handful. The more "visitors" they had, the more respect they received, culminating in parades and celebrations in their honor. However, most of them were not here by choice, and their very existence was a thorn in the side of every moralizing missionary that passed through Japan. Often mistakenly called "Geisha Girls" by misinformed westerners, these ladies-of-the-night were only "distant cousins" of the true Geisha who bristled at the thought of being confused with these less-than-refined "working girls". |
| 15. |  | T. Enami 1892-1895 (ca) The Antique Dealer Lantern slide, from a large-format album view Private collection of Rob Oechsle One of only a few early Enami images (including some portraits) where he removed all painted backgrounds and filled his narrow studio to full width. Even the ceiling skylight almost intrudes into the view. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 16. |  | T. Enami 1892-1895 (ca) Nagoya Castle Albumen print Private collection of Rob Oechsle This view is from Enami's earliest series of commercial album views, taken prior to his interest in stereoviews. However, rather than forsaking standard photography, Enami's foray into the world of 3-D was simply an expansion of his commercial and artistic formats that already included lantern-slides and portraiture. |
| 17. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Geisha Looking at Stereoviews in Enami's Studio Stereoview, half, from an untransposed proof-print, detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle There are variants of this photograph taken during the same session and some of which were published by Rose of Australia . (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 18. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) After the Snowfall. Winter in Yokohama. Stereoview, half, from an untransposed proof-print Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 19. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Country kids Stereoview, half, from an untransposed proof-print, detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 20. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Rustic Street in Rural Japan Stereoview, half, from an untransposed proof-print Private collection of Rob Oechsle The two children in the foreground, frozen in their doll-like steps for almost 110 years, are "icing on the cake" for this richly printed scene, it's natural depth lending itself perfectly to Enami's stereo-camera. |
| 21. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) The Millers Stereoview, half, from an untransposed proof-print, detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 22. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Coming Home from the Fields Stereoview, half, detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle This image, along with several other Enami views, appeared as a black and white, full half-stereoview in the September 1922 issue of National Geographic Magazine. Enami photographs would eventually be used as illustrations in four issues, their display varying anywhere from four images on a double-page spread to full page color renditions. |
| 23. |  | T. Enami 1910-1915 (ca) The Umbrella Farm Lantern slide, vignette detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle Close examination of the original slide reveals that, aside from the interspersed varying green grass, Enami's colorist also applied over 700 individual curved applications of alternating yellow and red stripes to the umbrellas, rarely allowing any bleed outside the stripes. The orange "sunburst" patterns on the white umbrellas at lower right are free-form applications. The original, of course, was much smaller than the enlargement here. Imagine the amount of time it must have taken to make just this one image for a customer who had ordered perhaps another 100 or so to go with it. Whether or not the style and artistry of Enami's photographs appeal to us, the studio colorists under his guidance are certainly to be commended with respect for their patient labors that produced the world of delicate and natural tint seen throughout the body of Enami's work. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 24. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Out for a Ride Stereoview, half, detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 25. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Shell Pickers on Tidal Flats off Honmoku Point, south of Yokohama Stereoview, half, from an untransposed proof-print, detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle Notice the sailing ship in the distance, headed into Yokohama Port about two miles north around the bend of the cliff. Shell-pickers were a favorite theme with Enami. Many variant images from these sessions were used by several stereoview publishers across North America, Europe, and Australia. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 26. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Garden Scene in Kyoto Stereoview Private collection of Rob Oechsle The pixels on your screen probably mask the fine details of hand tinting on this view. The kimono of the kneeling child on the bridge is accurately colored in multi tones. Every leaf, rock, and structure is also given individual attention by the colorist. And of course, it's views in natural 3-D. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 27. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Geisha Girls Playing Music Stereocard Private collection of Rob Oechsle In this Enami studio view, every piece of sushi on the serving plate has been microscopically tinted….twice. The same things in each image are painstakingly colored to match for nearly perfect 3-D viewing. Has the size, shape, and way of making sushi changed since 100 years ago? Enami's attention to detail allows us to check these and other mundane or interesting things in the content of his images. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 28. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) The Veranda Stereoview Private collection of Rob Oechsle This scene of geisha washing hands is highly detailed in 3-D. The true-to-life tinting captures the various shades of moss growing on the foreground rocks, with the distant tiled roof, stucco walls, and vegetation matching that of a modern color photograph. The applied colors and silver-print image have remained unchanged even after 100 years. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 29. |  | T. Enami 1895-1923 (ca) Mt. Fuji's summit Lantern slide, hand-tinted Private collection of Rob Oechsle Unusually dramatic, close image of Mt. Fuji's summit. Hand-tinted lantern-slide. While most images from this period show a more distant Mt. Fuji, usually in the context of picturesque foregrounds, Enami moves in to give us a dramatic look at the mountain in low sunlightà.with winds bringing the clouds to a roiling boil about the peak. Enami would also climb Mt. Fuji (possibly more than once) to give us several unusual views showing the often rough and desolate nature of the place -- in high contrast to the symmetrical vision of loveliness often ascribed to it by the poets, whose lofty words of praise framed the Sacred Peak with Cherry Blossoms and visions of Geisha Girls. Of course, those who actually make the climb probably bring along a few volumes of such poetry in order to burn it, warming their hands over the welcome flames as they huddle in frozen misery on the less-than-symmetrical summit. Stereo-photographer Herbert Ponting almost lost his life here when caught alone in a blinding storm. Fortunately, most climbers survived the trek, forgave the mountain, and brought back both real and surreal images to show the world. The only worse environment for the old-time photographers in Japan was being on the crater-lip of an explosively erupting volcano. |
| 30. |  | T. Enami 1892-1895 (ca) Street Scene in Yokohama Albumen print, panoramic detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle |
| 31. |  | T. Enami 1925-1929 (ca) Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel, Tokyo Lantern slide, detail Private collection of Rob Oechsle Opened the same day the earthquake destroyed Enami's studio, it survived with only minor damage. Enami took this photograph of the hotel before he died in 1929. When the structure was razed to make way for a new incarnation, this entryway was saved. It may now be seen at Meiji Mura Architectural Park outside of Nagoya. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 32. |  | T. Enami 1904, 12 May Magazine cover for Leslie‘s Weekly with the headline "The War Spirit Stirs Japan" Magazine cover, half-tone enlargement of a full half-stereoview image. Private collection of Rob Oechsle Enami gets a full-page cover photo on this issue of Leslie's Weekly published in New York. Taken less than three months earlier by Enami at the start the start of the Russo-Japan War, it shows a crowd in front of the Central Newspaper office that is advertising the latest "Extras". Enami had no qualms about jumping between quaint shots of Geisha, Flowers, and Cherry Blossoms into the bustle of news, journal and War photography. After grabbing many "Home Front" images like the above, he joined the Imperial Army as a military photographer and served his country with film and chemicals. The above photo is a half-stereoview from a batch of 3-D negatives (or reproduction proofs) sent off to Philadelphia stereoview publisher Griffith & Griffith. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 33. |  | T. Enami 1898 (ca) Japanese junks Lantern slide, from a stereoview negative, hand-tinted Private collection of Rob Oechsle This late-nineteenth-century photograph was already over twenty years old when it was first received as a black and white print by the National Geographic Society. Perhaps being recognized by their staff as an already widely published stereoview image, they put it away in their files, passing on this while opting for other of Enami's lesser-known images to illustrate several stories on Japan. However, looked at again in the late 1980s, it evoked a sense of old art, and was honored by the Society as one of the best images from their 100-year holdings of world photography. For the Society's 100th Anniversary, they used their original black and white, full half-stereoview print version as the sole inset photograph on the first edition cover of the monumental Odyssey: The Art of Photography at National Geographic. This book served as a catalogue for the photographic exhibition held in association with the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. However, the original hand-tinted lantern-slide reproduced here is more representative of the earlier versions made by Enami's studio at the time he photographed it. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |
| 34. |  | T. Enami 1907 (ca) Postcard of an earlier image showing T. Enami's studio Postcard, collotype, hand-tinted Private collection of Rob Oechsle Two men are looking through the windows at photos on display. Different formats of photographs may be seen. Today, on this spot (from Enami's studio to the corner) stands a multi-story apartment building with an underground parking garage. After the 1923 earthquake, Enami rebuilt his studio about 150 meters straight ahead on the left, where it would remain until destroyed again in 1945, during the fie-bombings of WW2. (Source: www.t-enami.org - Date accessed: Jan 2, 2008) |