Underwood & Underwood

1904

Stereoview photo cards

Two Stereoscope photo cards were made by Underwood & Underwood of Ottawa, Kansas, and the Keystone View Company, of Meadville, Pennsylvania. The cards would be placed into a viewing device that would create a three-dimensional effect when viewing the two images on the card.

The images are a snapshot of Namikawa Yasuyuki’s workshop and home. Card number 69 shows the workshop with many craftsmen working on items such as vases, koros and other items. They are both applying wirework and enamel pastes before firing. Namikawa himself overlooks the work taking place and in the background can be seen the hundreds of enamel mixtures he had developed himself over many years.

Card number 70 shows Namikawa kneeling with his wife and his daughter standing while feeding the koi carp in the fishpond. In the background is Namikawa’s garden. It was said that he would often have visitors shown around the garden before presenting them with a number of cloisonne items that could be purchased by the guests.

Imprinted copyright 1904 Underwood & Underwood.

Size 177mm x 88mm