Antique framed photo of Ginkakuji, Kyoto (Frederick Keppel & Co)

Hi, I'm new here and hope it's ok to wade in with a couple of photos of my latest find... a framed photograph of Ginkakuji (or Silver Pavilion) in Kyoto, Japan. The address on the label identifies it to the 1890s/1900s. I'm located in the UK so I'm curious as to how it got here from New York, and would also love to know more about it's history, since that's what really interests me; is there any way to identify the photographer? I've searched online but can't find anything relevant... I thought Keppel specialised in engravings/etchings, but can find little information about Keppel with regards to photographs.

The detail is incredible (hard to show in a scan) and the image is hand-coloured. Could this be a collotype, or is it more likely to be an albumen print? I'm very much learning about this, so please bear with me!

And finally, would there be any value in this item? I plan to hang it on my wall, but curiousity has the better of me!

Many thanks.

 

Here's a crop of the central part of the photograph. The original is much sharper - the sandals lined up in the bottom left can clearly be seen

 

Nice find....!!

 

Thanks! I found it in a charity shop

 

I'd recommend using the Graphics Atlas site to try to identify what type of print this is: http://www.graphicsatlas.org/

They go into a great amount of detail on characteristics of each type of print, and since you are able to look at it close up and we are not, it's probably best for you to try... or to find somebody in your area who is a print expert and can help.

I think it's beautiful.

 

Thank you - I'll follow your link and report back here if I find anything out. Like you, I think it's a beautiful image but have to confess that I overlooked it initially, probably because it was a bit grubby and faded. The frame is also very delicate and pretty

 

If you are keeping it, make sure the sun never hits it!

 

So I've had a very close look at the image and compared it to the information at the Graphics Atlas site and it looks like an albumen print. I can clearly see the paper fibres (using a loupe) and the image has yellowed, especially at the edges. That's a very useful website! And it means the print probably dates to the 1890s, rather than the 1900s.

@silverthwait - many thanks for the advice - I had a similar thought earlier today and will take care not to expose it to bright light!

 

Silverthwait gave some good advice. It's probably already faded and you don't want it to get any worse. If you have it reframed or anything, you might want to invest in UV protective glass. Something like this: http://www.tru-vue.com/products/museum-glass-anti-reflective/

You can also get it in anti-reflective, which makes it easier to see the picture if there is any light around.

And, I love the Graphics Atlas site. It's been around a little less than two years, I think.

Fig

 

Thanks Fig, I didn't know that about the protective glass . I won't take it out of the frame though, despite being curious to see if there's anything written on the back of the photo itself! I need a pair of x-ray specs, haha.