Often called “The Millionaire Photographer,” Kajima Seibei (1866–1924) was serious about his art and made a significant contribution to furthering and improving Japanese Photography. Along with his more famous friends Ogawa Kazumasa and William K. Burton, he founded the Tsukiji Dry-Plate Company, was an editor of “Shashin Sowa” and “Shashin Shinpo” photo magazines, was a pioneer of collotype printing, financed and provided images for “Kabuki Shinpo” magazine, and, with his brother Seizaburo, ran a large studio and publishing company called Genrokukan (1895-1897).
At some point, Seibei was forced to leave the family business (the Kajimaya Sake Distribution Company) and made to divorce his first wife, due to his lavish spending habits for photography. He married his model and lover, Geisha Ponta, with whom he had 12 children, and lived in Kyoto for a time, where he operated another incarnation of Genrokukan and later became a Noh musician.
These vintage photos were taken by Kajima Seibei that show portraits of geisha at Genrokukan Studio in Tokyo around 1895-97.
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| Arranging flowers, circa 1895-96 |
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| A geisha at Genrokukan, circa 1895-97 |
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| A geisha at Genrokukan, circa 1895-97 |
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| Dancing, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha and friends, circa 1895 |
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| Geisha and mirror, circa 1895 |
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| Geisha at the door, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha having a chat, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha having tea, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha in old style play, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha in old style play, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha looking at photo albums, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha playing a samisen, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha playing music, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha relaxing, circa 1895 |
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| Geisha relaxing, circa 1895 |
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| Geisha smiling, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha trimming flowers, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha with a daikon radish, circa 1895 |
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| Geisha with a doll, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha with a drum, circa 1895 |
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| Geisha with a fan, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha with candles, circa 1895-97 |
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| Geisha writing, circa 1895-97 |
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| Lady reading, circa 1895-96 |
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| Portrait of a young geisha, circa 1895-97 |
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| Portrait of two geisha, circa 1895-97 |
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| Portrait of two geisha, circa 1895-97 |
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| Portrait of two geisha, circa 1895-97 |
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| Teaching songs, circa 1895-96 |
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| Three geisha dancing, circa 1895-97 |
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| Three geisha with insect cages, circa 1895-97 |
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| Two geisha view sakura with friends, circa 1895-97 |
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| Two geisha with a kakejiku, circa 1895-97 |
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| Whispering, circa 1895-97 |
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