Photography album 19th-20th century

This photograph album, created by an anonymous artist, presents a hand-colored image depicting a scene with a rickshaw. The photograph's material qualities, from the texture of the paper to the applied colors, give us a glimpse into a specific historical and cultural context. The image captures a rickshaw, a mode of transportation invented in Japan in the late 19th century. The presence of the rickshaw itself speaks to broader social issues, the relationship between labor, class, and consumption. The amount of work involved in its manual operation highlights the physical labor of the rickshaw puller. The act of hand-coloring enhances the visual appeal and cultural significance of the scene. In understanding the full meaning of this photograph, it’s important to look at its materials, making, and context, and challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.