Maeda Genzo
Encyclopedia
Maeda Genzō (1831 – 1906) was a Japanese
photographer from northern Kyūshū
. In Nagasaki he studied photography under Jan Karel van den Broek
and J. L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort
. Neither of these teachers was an experienced photographer, and their attempts to produce photographs were largely failures. Nevertheless, in turn they taught wet-collodion process
to Maeda and his fellow students, who included Furukawa Shumpei, Kawano Teizō, Ueno Hikoma
, and Horie Kuwajirō
, among others. When Swiss photographer Pierre Rossier
arrived in Japan in 1858 on a commission from Negretti and Zambra
, Maeda was instructed to assist and accompany him and to further learn photography. Maeda and other students escorted Rossier around Nagasaki, while the latter took photographs of priests, beggars, the audience of a sumo
match, the foreign settlement, and the group portrait of Alexander von Siebold
and samurai
. Rossier believed that Pompe van Meerdervoort's failures in photography were due to a lack of the necessary chemicals and so he provided Maeda with a letter of recommendation to procure photographic apparatus and chemicals from a source in Shanghai
. Both Maeda and Furukawa bought lenses, chemicals and albumen paper through Rossier. Maeda and Furukawa succeeded in taking a photograph with these materials on 28 October 1860, a day which is still commemorated in Fukuoka
where the photograph was taken.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
photographer from northern Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. In Nagasaki he studied photography under Jan Karel van den Broek
Jan Karel van den Broek
Jan Karel van den Broek was a Dutch physician based in Nagasaki, Japan. In Nagasaki he taught medicine, chemistry and photography....
and J. L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort
J. L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort
Johannes Lijdius Catharinus Pompe van Meerdervoort was a Dutch physician based in Nagasaki, Japan...
. Neither of these teachers was an experienced photographer, and their attempts to produce photographs were largely failures. Nevertheless, in turn they taught wet-collodion process
Collodion process
The collodion process is an early photographic process. It was introduced in the 1850s and by the end of that decade it had almost entirely replaced the first practical photographic process, the daguerreotype. During the 1880s the collodion process, in turn, was largely replaced by gelatin dry...
to Maeda and his fellow students, who included Furukawa Shumpei, Kawano Teizō, Ueno Hikoma
Ueno Hikoma
was a pioneer Japanese photographer, born in Nagasaki. He is noted for his fine portraits, often of important Japanese and foreign figures, and for his excellent landscapes, particularly of Nagasaki and its surroundings...
, and Horie Kuwajirō
Horie Kuwajiro
Horie Kuwajirō was an early Japanese photographer and science writer.Horie studied rangaku, specifically chemistry, at the Nagasaki Naval Training Center where J. L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort was an instructor. In addition to chemistry, Pompe van Meerdervoort taught photography...
, among others. When Swiss photographer Pierre Rossier
Pierre Rossier
Pierre Joseph Rossier was a pioneering Swiss photographer whose albumen photographs, which include stereographs and cartes-de-visite, comprise portraits, cityscapes, and landscapes...
arrived in Japan in 1858 on a commission from Negretti and Zambra
Negretti and Zambra
The firm Negretti and Zambra was a producer of scientific and optical instruments and also operated a photographic studio based in London, England...
, Maeda was instructed to assist and accompany him and to further learn photography. Maeda and other students escorted Rossier around Nagasaki, while the latter took photographs of priests, beggars, the audience of a sumo
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
match, the foreign settlement, and the group portrait of Alexander von Siebold
Alexander von Siebold
Alexander George Gustav von Siebold was a German translator and interpreter active in Japan during the Bakumatsu period and early Meiji period...
and samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
. Rossier believed that Pompe van Meerdervoort's failures in photography were due to a lack of the necessary chemicals and so he provided Maeda with a letter of recommendation to procure photographic apparatus and chemicals from a source in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. Both Maeda and Furukawa bought lenses, chemicals and albumen paper through Rossier. Maeda and Furukawa succeeded in taking a photograph with these materials on 28 October 1860, a day which is still commemorated in Fukuoka
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
where the photograph was taken.