tinted albumen print, 1875-8

Since most of the early photographers in Japan catered to Westerners eager to obtain images of exotic Japanese costumes and rituals, this particular photograph is highly unusual– and a bit puzzling.

Japanese ambrotypes (small photographic portraits on glass) are occasionally seen showing people in traditional Japanese dress holding a Western-style umbrella or bowler hat. The inclusion of these articles was most likely meant to signify a certain cosmopolitan quality or worldliness, just as the presence of a folding fan in an American portrait of the period would add a touch of exoticism. Ambrotypes, however, were one-of-a-kind images usually intended for a friend or relative; Baron Stillfried’s portrait of a Japanese man in top-hat, tails, and white gloves was intended for sale and distribution.

Who was this man, and why is he dressed in this unusual way? While we may never know the answers, this portrait demonstrates that cross-cultural dressing for the photographer was not limited to Americans in Wisconsin or Colorado donning kimonos and holding fans. The people of two vastly different cultures were learning about each other’s customs, and the camera was used to document these small personal steps towards understanding.

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