Japanese Advertising Photography

国際広告写真展選集: 附 広告写真を語る Kokusai kōkoku shashinten senshū : Fu kōkoku shashin o kataru (Selected Images From the International Advertising Competition [WITH] „Lets Talk About Advertising Photography“) BY 濱田増治 (HAMADA, MASUJI); 仲田定之助 (SADANOSUKE NAKATA)

Tokyo, 東京朝日新聞社 (Tokyo Asahi Shinbunsha), 1930.

134pp. [1]. 37pp. with numerous photos.

25,5 x 19 cm. Photo-illustrated wrappers with red lettering on the front cover and spine.

EUR  2000

The book contains a selection of 168 works from the International Advertising Photography Contest held by the Tokyo Asahi Shinbunsha newspaper, in 1930, the first of its kind in Japan. The book is profusely illustrated throughout with finely printed sepia-toned photographic reproductions of the images from the competition. Many of the images display modernist qualities, and some with more avant-garde sensibilities, utilizing such techniques as photomontage, multiple exposure and more abstract framing.  These images advertise a wide-range of contemporary products from toiletries and other household items to cosmetics, food, drink, records, and clothing, laid out in single, double, triple and quadruple image spreads. Each image is accompanied at least a one line captioned description. The first image in the book displays the first prize winning work of Iwata Nakayama* (中山 岩太), who would go on to be known as one of pioneer of modernist avant-garde photography in Japan. His work shows a traditional white Japanese sock (tabi), outlined in black, against a white background with the image of a fukusuke (traditional Japanese good luck charm) imprinted on the sock. The first 14 pages contain what were determined to be among the best works from the competition, with larger images on glossy paper. The images from the competition are also contrasted with a group of similar international photographic works, including the work of some known figures such as František Drtikol (p.103-134).

Appended to the publication is „Lets Talk About Advertising Photography“, a collection of eight essays on the subject from a wide variety writers, including advertising department heads, magazine editors, photographers and scholars.

Iwata Nakayama (中山 岩太, 1895 – 1949) was a pioneering Japanese photographer, known for his association with the Emerging Photographs (Shinkou Shashin) movement and the Ashiya Camera Club (芦屋カメラクラブ) in Japan, and for his influence in the world of modernist and avant-garde photography. After studying at Tokyo University of the Arts as part of the first photography class, and later at California State University, he worked for a time as a successful photographer in New York. Subsequently he traveled to Europe, and stayed in Paris, where he came into contact with the likes of Man Ray and László Moholy-Nagy, and was influenced by their work. Upon his return to Japan in 1927, he continued his successful work as an art and commercial photographer. His is credited with producing some of the first examples of commercial montage photography.

The spine with a few very tiny defects, otherwise a very nice clean copy.