Tomio Kondo
Encyclopedia
Kondō was born on 24 January 1900 to a landowning family in Kanazawa village (subsequently part of Kanai, which in turn was amalgamated within "Sado City
"). He started with a camera at 18, and also had a keen interest in archaeology. Kondō photographed landscapes and a great variety of life on the island, as well as the figures from literary and artistic circles on the mainland who came to visit during the infancy of Sado's tourism industry. He financed this by gradually selling off land owned by the family.
Kondō was keen to keep up with the latest news on the island. He helped set up the Sado museum , of which he became a trustee, and organizations devoted to mountain walking and botany.
Kondō left a collection of about 8,840 plates
on his death on 15 November 1957. These were bought by the bus company Niigata Kōtsū , which presented them to the Sado museum, but they were little known until 1979, when they were seen by Haruo Tomiyama
(himself a notable photographer of Sado) and others. Four years later they became an Asahi Camera
cover story, and thanks to the effort of Tomiyama and others they have been exhibited in Sado and anthologized in two books. The photographs then had some exposure in the general-interest media; for example, the 17 August 1995 issue of the magazine Serai had a six-page feature on them.
Sado City has recently started a photography contest in Kondō's honour.
Municipalities of Japan
Japan has three levels of government: national, prefectural, and municipal. The nation is divided into 47 prefectures. Each prefecture consists of numerous municipalities. There are four types of municipalities in Japan: cities, towns, villages and special wards...
"). He started with a camera at 18, and also had a keen interest in archaeology. Kondō photographed landscapes and a great variety of life on the island, as well as the figures from literary and artistic circles on the mainland who came to visit during the infancy of Sado's tourism industry. He financed this by gradually selling off land owned by the family.
Kondō was keen to keep up with the latest news on the island. He helped set up the Sado museum , of which he became a trustee, and organizations devoted to mountain walking and botany.
Kondō left a collection of about 8,840 plates
Photographic plate
Photographic plates preceded photographic film as a means of photography. A light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was applied to a glass plate. This form of photographic material largely faded from the consumer market in the early years of the 20th century, as more convenient and less fragile...
on his death on 15 November 1957. These were bought by the bus company Niigata Kōtsū , which presented them to the Sado museum, but they were little known until 1979, when they were seen by Haruo Tomiyama
Haruo Tomiyama
is a versatile Japanese photographer, active since the 1960s.-Life and work:Born in Kanda on 25 February 1935, Tomiyama dropped out of evening high school in 1956 to study photography for himself....
(himself a notable photographer of Sado) and others. Four years later they became an Asahi Camera
Asahi Camera
is a Japanese monthly photographic magazine.The first issue was that for April 1926. It has from the outset been published by Asahi Shinbun-sha, publisher of the newspaper Asahi Shinbun....
cover story, and thanks to the effort of Tomiyama and others they have been exhibited in Sado and anthologized in two books. The photographs then had some exposure in the general-interest media; for example, the 17 August 1995 issue of the magazine Serai had a six-page feature on them.
Sado City has recently started a photography contest in Kondō's honour.
Books of Kondō's works
- Sado . Iwanami Shashin Bunko 73. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1952. Kondō is listed as one of two individual photographers who photographed the content with three organizations.
- Sado mangekyō , ed. Haruo Tomiyama. Matsumoto: Kyōdo Shuppansha , 1994. ISBN 4-87663-264-2. A generous anthology of Kondō's work, showing family life, farming, tourism, new technology, popular spectacles, and much else.
- Sado shashinchō , ed. Hisao Kondō and Kinzō Isobe . Matsumoto: Kyōdo Shuppansha , 2000. ISBN 4-87663-489-0.