Ichiki Shirō

If you're coming through Tokyo and enjoy photography, make sure to check out the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. It doesn't get as much attention as all the other art museums in Tokyo (Nezu, Mori, National Art Museum, etc) but it's a fantastic venue with frequently rotating exhibitions. They often pull out old photographs arranged around a specific theme from their collections, and it's always a delight.

Japan is definitely up there with France, England, Germany, and the US in having shaped the foundations and history of photography in a major way.

https://topmuseum.jp

Very cool, thank you. I'm amazed that he was able to get the camera working through trial and error.

Can't recall if this made it on HN, but the first photography book is widely regarded as coming from Anna Atkins.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Atkins

Her book came out in 1843, a few years before Ichiki's work.

She used a new technique called cyanotype. Beautiful incredible blues.

Looking at the photo, only one thought comes to mind: he has some unusually wide shoulders.