Kusakabe Kimbei

This exhibition shows the private collection of Japanese photography built up by Italian photographer Benito Francia, who lived in Yokohama from 1862 onwards. Reflecting the 19th-century interest in the west for all things 'exotic' - a reaction to the materialism imposed by industrial society - thousands of Japanese hand-painted photographs were exported to Europe and the US. Francia's album contains a hundred photos, all of great beauty, signed by the commercial photographer Kusakabe Kimbei. The subjects are inspired by traditional Japanese prints, including landscapes, posed shots and customs.