Photographs by Italian Adolfo Farsari made around 1860.

Farsari was an abolitionist who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war ended he ended up in Japan working as a commercial photographer selling images to tourists. Japan had two photographers in the country at this time, Farsari and Kozaburō Tamamura. Over time the two would fall out and compete.

A street scene from the late 1880s.  It cannot be understated just how difficult it would have been to capture this scene at the time.  Due to the photographic techniques of the day these subjects would have had to remain still for four or five seconds in order for the picture to be captured without blurring.  As you can see the attempt was not one hundred percent successful as there was movement during the exposure time.  However, as a piece of social history this photograph is invaluable.  No one is sure how long the partnership between Farsari and Kozaburō lasted but it was not long.  By 1886 Farsari and Tong Cheong (a Chinese photographer) were the only commercial non Japanese photographers working in the country.  By 1887 Farsari was on his own. -Text by Quazen.com.

Farsari's abolitionist spirit and ideas about equality may be seen in his photographs of women who are photographed independently and as often as men.

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