Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Taishō Posters

The images below are Japanese posters 
from ~the first quarter of the 20th century.

"The Taishō period^ (大正時代 Taishō jidai?), or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912, to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Emperor Taishō". Some of the posters carry over to the early Shōwa era: Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito)^ reigned from 1926 to 1989.



commercial print of woman holding ink bottle
Title: Puraton mannenhitshu: Puraton inki [Woman with an ink bottle]
Description: A woman holding an ink bottle. Nakayama Taiyodo. Platon ink and pen (プラトンインキ, プラトン万年筆).
Subject (company): Nakayama Taiyōdō; 中山太陽堂



Japanese lithograph of Cuttlefish with typographic advertisement overlay
Title: Shinshin chinka Kattoru = Cuttlefish [Cuttlefish] 新進珍菓カットル
Description: A cuttlefish. "Cuttle" or "Cuttle Fish" (a snack), Chishima-ya Shoten (千島屋商店).
Subject (Company): Snack foods



yellow bird of paradise lithograph advertising poster
Title: Nan'yō Yūsen Kabushiki Kaisha = Nanyo Yusen Kaisha = South Sea Mail S. S. Co., Ltd. [Bird]
Description: A tropical yellow bird flying over the ocean.
Subject (Company): Nan'yō Yūsen Kabushiki Kaisha; 南洋郵船株式会社



illustration of stylised lillies as part of advertising poster for a Japanese bank
Title: Chochiku wa ne no gotoku, heiwa wa hana no gotoshi [Lillies] 貯蓄は根の如く, 平和は花の如し
Description: Chochiku, chokin (Savings)
Subject (Company): Japan. Teinshinshō; Japan. 逓信省



stylised graphic poster featuring candle and words in Kanji script
Title: Kan'i hoken: issunsaki wa yami [Candle] 簡易保險:一寸先は暗
Description: Kan'i Hoken (Postal life insurance).
Subject (Company): Japan. Teinshinshō; Japan. 逓信省



ukioy-e print in colour of woman in traditional Japanese costume walking, with small crowd behind watching her
Title: Kabushiki Kaisha Tōkyō Tsukiji Kappan Seizōsho = The Tokyo Tsukiji Type Foundry, Ltd. [Goddess] 株式會社東京築地活版製造所
Description: A goddess holding a musical instrument. Tokyo Tsukiji Type Foundry, Ltd. (東京築地活版製造所). Marked with "H" [Hirano, Tomiji 平野富二?].
Subject (Company): Foundries



Japanese colour print of coast beach with crane flying above - advertising poster
Title: Santō Tetsudō [Cranes] 山東鐵道
Description: Cranes flying over Shantung. Santo Tetsudo. Shantung Railway Administration in the Chintao Garrison Army. Marked with [Shantung Railway's logo?]. 青島守備軍民政部鉄道部.
Subject (Company): Railroad Companies



lady in red kimono holding fan - Japanese steamship advertising poster
Title: Osaka Shosen Kaisha = Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd. [Woman in red kimono]
Description: Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co. Ltd. A woman in red kimono holding a fan. Marked with the company's symbol, a flag with a character "大."
Subject (Company): Ōsaka Shōsen Kabushiki Kaisha 大阪商船株式会社



Japanese poster for graphic art exhibition 1920s - abstract face and typography
Title: Monbushō shusai Insatsu Bunka Tenrankai = The Graphic Art Exposition: kaiki Taishō jūnen kugatsu nijūgonichi yori jūgatsu nijūgonichi made = from 25th September to 25th October, 1921: kaijō Tōkyō Hongō Ocha no Mizu Tōkyō Hakubutsukan [Insatsu Bunka Tenrankai] 文部省主催印刷文化展覽會: 會期大正十年九月二十五日より十月廿五日まで: 會場東京本郷御茶之水東京博物舘
Description: Graphic Art Exposition - Insatsu Bunka Tenrankai, held at Tokyo Hakabutsukan, September 25 - October 25, 1921.
Subject (Company): Exhibitions / Tokyo



biplane illustration in Japanese advert, early 20th century
Title: Kūkō Hakurankai = The First Aero Show: kaichō Danshaku Shigeno Kiyotake, shusai Kūkō Hakurankai Kumiai: kaijō Kyūshū Beppu Onsenjō, kaiki Taishō jūnen sangatsu jūgonichi yori gogatsu jūsannichi made [Airplane] 航空博覽會: 會長男爵滋野清武, 主催航空博覽會組合: 會場九州別府温泉場, 會期自大正十年三月十五日至五月十三日
Description: First Aero Show, held in Kyushu, March 15 - May 13, 1921, and chaired by Baron Shigeno Kiyotake (滋野清武).
Subject (Company): Shigeno, Kiyotake, 1882-1924 滋野清武, 1882-1924



3 Japanese woman in kimonos at edge of beach near waves with ship in distance
Title: Nippon Yusen Kaisha = Japan Mail Steamship Co. [Three ukiyo-e women]
Description: Three Ukiyoe women in kimono standing at the shore
Subject (Company): Nihon Yūsen Kabushiki Kaisha 日本郵船株式会社



colour printed poster of tall thin pagoda with tree and deer in foreground - tourist poster for Japan
Title: Japan Tourist Bureau [Five-story pagoda]
Description: A deer, a pagoda, and pine trees.
Subject (Company): Nihon Kōtsu Kōsha Japan Tourist Bureau 日本交通公社 (Railroad Companies)



Japanese woman in kimono looking intently at us, the audience; opalescent face
Title: Dai Nippon Seitō Kabushiki Kaisha [Woman in black kimono] 大日本製糖株式會社
Description: A woman in black kimono. Sugar refining company.
Subject (Company): Dai Nippon Seitō Kabushiki Kaisha; 大日本製糖株式会社



tall thin printed poster in colour dominated by crane standing on one leg
Title: Tsuru no Tamago Sekken [White crane] 鶴之卵石鹼
Description: A white crane. Tsuru no Tamago Sekken (soap). Asai Shiten (浅井支店)
Subject (Company): Cosmetics--Manufacture



advertising poster about travel with traditional Japanese woman in kimono and umbrella off to one side
Title: Asia via Honolulu from San Francisco to the Orient: 5 great sister ships [Woman with an umbrella]
Description: An American steamship company
Subject (Company): Pacific Mail Steamship Company



poster: top half is crane with outstretched wings + bottom half has maps of Japan and Japanese locales
Title: Tetsudōin Un'yukyoku [Crane] 鐵道院運輸局
Description: A crane and railway maps of Japan. The Transportation Division of the Railway Bureau
Subject (Company): Japan. Tetsudōshō. Unʼyukyoku Japan. 鐡道省. ǂb 運輸局



poster in colour with young Japanese lady in head band holding open a fan with a ship silhouetted in the sun of a Japanese flag - advertising poster
Title: Toyo Kisen Kaisha = Oriental Steam-Ship Company [Woman with a fan]
Description: A woman in blue kimono holding a fan
Subject (Company): Tōyō Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha 東洋滊船株式會社



The University of Southern California's Digital Library display a series of early 20th century Japanese posters, contributed by USC's East Asian Library.

The poster topics in the collection include: travel, Ministry of Communications, commercial products and companies, and expositions.

Thanks to Will C!
This post first appeared on the BibliOdyssey website.

5 comments :

Unknown said...

Great set - thank you!

lotusgreen said...

Hi again PK. I can't seem to get to this collection -- can you help? Thanks, Lily

peacay said...

The link works fine for me (and Hi!) Lily.

lotusgreen said...

Hi. :^)

Well of course it worked perfectly this time! I love these, even if they think a flamingo is a crane. Wouldn't be the first time.

Kinette said...

"Cranes flying over Shantung": the bird on the foreground is a heron.
" A white crane. ": it's a flamingo!

K.

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