[S2E10] 📷 Fantasy or Reality? 19th c. Japanese Photography

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Oliver is joined by Zoe Shipley, graduate from our MA programme in Interdisciplinary Japanese Studies to discuss her thesis research, “Reality or Fantasy? 19th c. Photography of Japan”. Zoe’s research is based on a family heirloom, the Japan Album, collected by her ancestor Robert T. Rhode between 1877 and 1884. Made up of a collection of commercial photographs and his own work, Zoe addresses how the album highlights the difference between the reality of modernisation occurring at the time with abstractions of tradition through costume and exaggerated scenes to pander to a foreign audience.

Zoe’s blog can be followed here: http://www.theenglishjapanesestudent.com

Find out more about our MA in Interdisciplinary Japanese Studies.


Image and audio credits

Intro-outro music: jasonszklarek / MotionElements.com

Images provided by Zoe Shipley from the Japan Album.

Copyright © 2021 Oliver Moxham, ℗ 2021 Oliver Moxham. May be freely distributed in a classroom setting.

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