From the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, Japan was a vital world center for postcard art. More than just casual mail pieces, these postcards were often designed by prominent artists and had a visual impact that belied their modest format. Remarkably beautiful examples of graphic design in their own right, they also recorded the shifting definitions of “East” and “West” at a time when such European currents as Art Nouveau began to show up in Japanese visual productions. Art of the Japanese Postcard presents 300 full-color examples of these cards, culled from the vast Leonard A. Lauder Collection. They are astonishing not only for their beauty and the quality of their printing, but also for the insight they provide into contemporary Japanese artistic practices--insights not relayed in standard histories that focus on painting and sculpture--as well as for the fluid interplay of European and Japanese modes. Authoritative essays by leading scholars of Japanese art and culture, plus a statement by the collector himself, highlight the design, development, and cultural function of these rarely studied, but highly influential and visually exciting, expressions of graphic genius.

Art of the Japanese Postcard: Masterpieces fom the Leonard A. Lauder Collection

Arts & Photography

Brown, Kendall

Lauder, Leonard

Nishimura Morse, Anne

Rimer, J. Thomas

History & Criticism

MFA Publications

With the influx of Westerners to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912) came the rise of the Japanese photo industry. Originally created as souvenirs for foreign travelers, these images soon came to act as a prepackaged guide: Before long, the tourist's first stop in Japan was the photographer's studio, where he ordered the handsomely-made photo album that would help set his itinerary. But more than this, these photographs reveal an astounding virtuosity, not only in composition but also in the technique of color retouching, which brought these views of daily life, splendid gardens, bustling cityscapes and theatrical performances to a new level of vividness. Blatantly artificial, these photographs also convey a true and resonant picture of Japanese society at the dawn of the modern age. Art and Artifice: Japanese Photographs of the Meiji Era provides a brief, elegant introduction to Meiji-era photographs and to the world in which it flourished. In three essays and dozens of images, it explores the social function of these photos and their remarkable artistry, the practicalities of transpacific travel at the turn of the century, and the personal stories of those who collected and preserved these images--leaving us with a privileged glimpse into this pivotal moment in Japanese cultural history and the history of photography.

Art and Artifice: Japanese Photographs Of The Meiji Era

Sharf, Frederic

Dobson, Sebastian

Photography & Video

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Books by Nishimura Morse, Anne