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Ca.1885-1895, 8" x 10" hand-tinted albumen photograph, by unknown Japanese photographer.The above photo is all about the what you see on the man's LOWER BACK.
My last post of two Japanese gentlemen and their "full body" tattoos brought up a chain of comments that brought the authenticity of the hand-colored images under question. Specifically, the possibility that these old photos of Tattooed Postmen and etc are FAKE --- that is, the crude (and sometimes flowery) designs possibly being a complete fabrication by the studio colorist, applied to UN-TATTOED bodies of male studio models.
Although my own examination under a lens showed the occasional "trace" of something really there, the hand-tinting often overwhelmed it.
I had been taught long ago that certain emulsions used during the Meiji era had a low sensitivity to certain blue colors and pigments, thus diminishing the photographic impact of the designs done by the tattoo artists of old Japan. HAND TINTING the image was the only way to make it presentable for sale.
Well, I dug and dug, and finally came up with the answer (of sorts).
About 20 years ago, when I picked this large albumen up, the first thing I thought was "........Well, this is pretty cool. Too bad I will never be able to use because SOMEBODY WASHED THE CHEAP COLORING JOB OFF THE MIDDLE OF IT WHEN THEY TRIED TO CLEAN THE PHOTO. To bad. What a waste. Otherwise, it might have been useful for publication or show......"
