c. 1880's Adolfo Farsari & Co. Photo Studio Business Card Albumen Photograph For Sale

DATE: c. 1880'sPHOTOGRAPHER: Adolfo Farsari (see bio below)PROCESS: Albumen mountedSIZE: Board measures 5.125" x 4", and mounted photo measures4.375" x 3.5"CONDITION: See photosSHIPPING: Shipping cost is non-negotiable, please consider it when offerding/buying.COMBINED SHIPPING: Yes, I do combine shipping. Additional shipping per item is 20% of the lower shipping cost [For example, if 2 items are purchased that have a $30 and $10 shipping cost each, the combined shipping cost becomes $32 for the 2 items]. If offerding/buying more than 1 item, please wait for an invoice with combined shipping before Farsari (1841–1898) was an influential Italian photographer renowned for his hand-colored images of Japan during the late 19th century. Born in Vicenza, Italy, Farsari initially pursued a military career, serving in the Italian army during the period of Italian unification. Afterward, he emigrated to the United States, where he enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Following the war, Farsari lived in California, working in various businesses before deciding to move to Japan in 1873 in search of new opportunities.Once in Japan, Farsari first worked as a manager for a cigar company in Yokohama, a bustling port city. It was here that he developed an interest in photography, a rapidly growing field in Japan at the time. By the mid-1880s, Farsari had established his own photographic studio, "A. Farsari & Co.," in Yokohama. His studio specialized in hand-colored albumen prints, which involved meticulously adding color to black-and-white photographs using watercolors or dyes. This process gave his photographs a distinctive vibrancy and set them apart from others in the market. His works primarily depicted scenes of daily life, landscapes, portraits, and views of temples, gardens, and city streets, offering a glimpse into a rapidly changing Japan.Farsari’s photographs were popular among foreign visitors to Japan, and he gained exclusive rights to photograph the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, one of the few foreigners to be granted such access. His images were sold as souvenir albums and became prized possessions for collectors both in Japan and abroad. Through his photography, Farsari played a key role in shaping the Western perception of Japan during the Meiji era, a time when the country was modernizing and opening up to the world.Despite increasing competition in the photography market by the late 1880s, Farsari maintained a leading position in the field. In 1890, he returned to Italy, bringing his daughter Kiku with him, who had been born to a Japanese woman during his time in Japan. Farsari continued to manage his studio from Italy, but it was eventually taken over by his former employee, Tsunetarō Tonokura. The studio continued to operate in Japan for several more years, though it may have been affected by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.Farsari died in 1898 in Italy, but his photographic legacy endures. His work remains an important historical record of Japan during a period of significant transformation, and his photographs are now held in major collections worldwide. Through his lens, Farsari captured a Japan that was transitioning from traditional practices to a more modern and globalized society, leaving an enduring visual testament to that pivotal time in history.