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 [54]
Place(s)
- LifestylesJapan [54]
- Japan [49]
- Clothing and dressJapan [30]
- PeasantsJapan [16]
- PoorJapan [15]
- Musical instrumentsJapan [4]
- FlowersJapan [2]
- GamesJapan [2]
- MusicJapan [2]
- ParksJapan [2]
- Women musiciansJapan [2]
- ArchitectureJapan [1]
- Buddhist shrinesJapan [1]
- FestivalsJapan [1]
- FlagsJapan [1]
- Fuji, Mount (Japan) [1]
- PatriotismJapan [1]
Format(s)
- image [54]
Genre(s)
- photographs [54]
- photomechanical prints [54]
Topic(s)
- Lifestyles [54]
- Clothing and dress [30]
- Women [26]
- Peasants [17]
- Poor [16]
- Games [2]
- Religion [2]
- Women musicians [2]
- Architecture [1]
- Flags [1]
- Music [1]
- Parades [1]
- Parks [1]
- Patriotism [1]
- Pedicab drivers [1]
- Rickshaw men [1]
- Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905 [1]
- Swords [1]
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Topic: ("Lifestyles")
Title: A lantern maker and his family plying their trade
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 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 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: 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: Cherry blossom festival in full swing
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: Doctor attending to a sick woman
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: Employees outside a tea house
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: Fan crafter with a customer
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
There are two main types of fans in this man's shop. The folding fan - known as the "Sensu," and the hand fan - known as the "Uchiwa."
Title: Farmers collecting their harvest
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
It appears the people in this picture are all part of the same family. In the picture you can see three generations of the family working together on the harvest.
Title: Farmers planting their crop
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: Four women picking plants
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
It looks like the women are picking tea leaves. Less labor intensive then traditional rice farming, but still a difficult job.
Title: Four women preparing a meal
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The four women are engaged in various tasks. The woman on the farthest left is grinding something within her bowl, while the woman to her right is dicing a radish. The two women on the right are tending a fire.
Title: Group of farmers tending to their crops
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: Group of men with Shamisen and sake
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The second man from the left is playing a Shamisen, while the second man from the right is drinking sake. The two others are posing for the music.
Title: Groups of people eating lakeside
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
A group of women are eating together by a lake. A group of men are in the background, and appear to be eating as well.
Title: Men carrying a passenger in a Palanquin to a hotel
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: People lined up to view a parade or procession
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: Rural farmer
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The man in this picture is wearing a straw raincoat, as well as the other traditional attire of a rural farmer. In his left hand, he holds a plant and what looks like a hoe. The other hand is carrying a container.
Title: Rural worker carrying his tools
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: Rural worker with reed garment
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
Title: Samurai bowing before their lord
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The important figure is stepping into a palanquin, about to be carried to his destination by his bodyguards.
Title: Sandal shop owner with a customer
Creator: Wolcott, Katherine
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: photomechanical prints
The Japanese Sandal is known as a "Geta" and was the most common piece of footwear throughout most of Japan's history. Geta can have varying amount of pegs, or none at all. When they don't have pegs, they are sometimes known as "Zori."
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