A Tourist's Album of Japan
Collection Overview
Katherine Wolcott and her uncle, Robert Hull Fleming, compiled this photo album on their visit to Japan in 1909. Part of a larger Asian trip, the two stopped in Japan and collected photos, postcards, bookmarks, and other materials. Fleming was a graduate of the University of Vermont, and in 1929 Katherine Wolcott helped to fund the construction of the Robert Hull Fleming Museum in memory of her late uncle. This album, a memento from their trip, was part of Wolcott’s own collection.
There are nearly 40 leaves of collected photographs and postcards, numbering two to three per album page. The pictures range in content, some depicting staged photos of daily life while others portray landscapes and countryside. The album itself measures approximately 11 x 14 x 4 inches and is currently housed at the Robert Hull Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont.
Wolcott’s album captures a unique view of Japan at the brink of burgeoning Western influence. After defeating the Russians in the Russo Japanese War (1904-05), Japan began to cement itself as a global power, and its efforts to modernize began to attract Westerners. The images in this album depict a Japan with a strong national heritage and cultural appreciation as well as a newfound embrace of modernization and technology.
Most of the pictures in the album sold commercially as a form of postcard. In the early 1900s, the Japanese populace began consuming millions of these types of commercially produced picture postcards. Eventually, the medium became so popular that it started to replace the more traditional wood block print. The citizenry sought pictures of their budding nation, wanting to hold a still image of the rapidly modernizing and changing countryside.
Time Period Covered: 1909
Sub-collections
Published: February 01, 2011, University of Vermont, Bailey/Howe Library, Special Collections
Rights: Requests to reproduce this item should be sent to the UVM Libraries' Center for Digital Initiatives at cdi@uvm.edu. For more information, see http://cdi.uvm.edu/about/rights.
Browse Options
Creator(s)
- Wolcott, Katherine [130]
Place(s)
- Japan [115]
- LifestylesJapan [60]
- Clothing and dressJapan [51]
- PeasantsJapan [24]
- PoorJapan [21]
- ArchitectureJapan [17]
- DwellingsJapan [13]
- RiversJapan [12]
- FlowersJapan [8]
- Musical instrumentsJapan [8]
- Buddhist shrinesJapan [6]
- MusicJapan [6]
- Women musiciansJapan [6]
- Fuji, Mount (Japan) [5]
- GardensJapan [4]
- SwordsJapan [4]
- CastlesJapan [3]
- ParksJapan [3]
- PatriotismJapan [3]
- FestivalsJapan [2]
- GamesJapan [2]
- ArcheryJapan [1]
- ArmorJapan [1]
- FlagsJapan [1]
Format(s)
- image [130]
Genre(s)
- photographs [129]
- photomechanical prints [129]
- photograph albums [1]
Topic(s)
- Lifestyles [54]
- Clothing and dress [46]
- Women [36]
- Peasants [23]
- Poor [22]
- Buddhist shrines [8]
- Flowers [8]
- Musical instruments [8]
- Religion [7]
- Women musicians [6]
- Cities and towns [4]
- Landscape photography [4]
- Patriotism [4]
- Boats and boating [3]
- Buddhist monks [3]
- Castles [3]
- Festivals [3]
- Gardens [3]
- Music [3]
- Pedicab drivers [3]
- Rickshaw men [3]
- Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905 [3]
- Games [2]
- Parades [2]
- Swords [2]
- Archery [1]
- Armor [1]
- Capital punishment [1]
- Charms [1]
- Criminals [1]
- Flags [1]
- Parks [1]
- Portrait photography [1]
- River boats [1]
- Shinto priests [1]
- Shinto vestments [1]
- Souvenirs (Keepsakes) [1]
- Transportation [1]
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Browsing by:
Format: ("image")
Title: A bridge spanning a small river in the Japanese countryside
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A charm to protect against fire
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The charm was created to protect the bearer from fire. On the marker, it says Jadaiji temple, which may be the Jindaiji temple in Tokyo.
Title: A group of female performers
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The woman on the right is holding a Shamisen, while the other women strike poses.
Title: A group of monks under a large Buddhist statue
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A group of travelers on the Japanese coast
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
A group of five people and a horse appear to be traveling along the coast. A small town lies in the background.
Title: A hotel in the Japanese countryside
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
In the upper left hand section of the picture, there is a black X inscribed on the picture. This was probably done by the original collector to identify which room (s)he stayed in.
Title: A husband and wife dining
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A lantern maker and his family plying their trade
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A large house in the countryside
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A man and five women dining
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The gathered group of people appear to be eating either Udon or Soba noodles. The gender ratio is somewhat perplexing, but can most likely be attributed to the artificial nature of the picture.
Title: A man carrying his goods to a shop
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The man has a large variety of goods strapped to his cart. There are hand woven baskets as well as wooden containers and ladles.
Title: A man paying homage to two Buddhist statues
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A pond full of fish
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A portrait of a young woman
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A public park
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
What appears to be the entrance to a public park. If you look closely, you can detect the mixing of cultures. Some men wear the traditional robe, but also don a western hat.
Title: A river flowing in a valley in the countryside
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
In the background you can barely see a road curving through the valley, supposedly behind at Miyanoshita.
Title: A river in the countryside
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A riverboat with passengers
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A riverboat with passengers and workers
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: A rural Samurai
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The Samurai in this picture is wearing a straw raincoat in addition to his swords and clothing.
Title: A view of Yokohama
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: Album of Japanese Photographs
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photograph albums
Katherine Wolcott and her uncle, Robert Hull Fleming, compiled this photo album on their visit to Japan in 1909. Part of a larger Asian trip, the two stopped in Japan and collected photos, postcards, bookmarks, and other materials. Fleming was a graduate of the University of Vermont, and in 1929 Katherine Wolcott helped to fund the construction of the Robert Hull Fleming Museum in memory of her late uncle. This album, a memento from their trip, was part of Wolcott’s own collection.
Title: An elderly man getting his hair styled
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
It looks as if the man is getting his hair pulled back into the traditional Samurai hairstyle of the top knot (Chonmage).
Title: An estate in the Japanese countryside
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: An umbrella street vendor
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The woman is either repairing or crafting a series of umbrellas.
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