Last night in Jimbocho I picked up the December 1978 special issue of Asahi Camera, a volume featuring the relatively unknown photographs by the Taisho era popular illustrator Takehisa Yumeji. I’ve been a fan of Yumeji since the first time I came across one of his pictures and end up visiting his memorial museum in Nezu at least twice a year. A while ago at a Book Off in Suidobashi I found an odd little book of his photos of women which was part of a larger series of photobooks (Tombo, something). Yumeiji’s paintings, late teens/early 1920s graphic design, and overall darkly tragic and romantic artist-life has been the subject of seemingly uncountable books and magazines. And postcards. And scarves. Pins. Book covers. Bookmarks. Stationary. Wall hangings. etc. But as far as I know there is no properly printed duo-toned photobook collecting all of his photos of his pale sad-eyed and distant women in retro kimonos. If there was I doubt there’s a price I wouldn’t pay to own it.
In the meantime the magazine will have to suffice. Sure, the off-camera gazes are attractive but what I really get excited over is Yumeiji’s framing- no doubt helped by the “accuracy” of his Kodak Pocket Bantam cameras. These are perfect pictures in their own way on their own terms.
It’s not all retro kimonos and pre-war sentimentalism! Sometimes it is that and pictures taken on the street:
