The Japan that "National Geographic" never published. Discovery of new photographs by Eliza Scidmore

Abstract

Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore (b.1856, U.S.A. - d.1928, Switzerland) was an American geographer, photographer, activist, collector, writer and journalist. Her achievements attracted the interest of the National Geographic Society, where she confirmed herself as a pioneer in these fields. Greatly interested in Japan, she made countless trips and stayed in the Japanese archipelago between 1885 and 1928, becoming an international point of reference on the situation of the country, showing it to millions of readers subscribed to the National Geographic Magazine. Additionally, Scidmore also published several travel books and novels. All these materials were accompanied by extensive photographs taken during her stay in Japan. With her work she became one of the main promoters of the iconic image of Japanese cherry blossoms.

Despite the extensiveness of Scidmore’s work, the dissemination of most of her photographs capturing Japan was limited. Fortunately, after contrasting countless files in the National Geographic Society Archive in Washington, with funds from the Galé family in the Muséu del Pueblu d’Asturies, we were able to locate a series of coloured albumen prints by Eliza Scidmore representing Japan, which were thought to be lost.