[Photographs from a Japanese production of Hamlet] [graphic].

[Tokyo], [1933?]

5 photographs ; 14 x 9 cm and 15 x 10 cm

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Japan -- Tokyo.

272630

From dealer's description: "Five Photographs of an Early Japanese Production of Hamlet No. 14 [Hamlet at the Tsukiji Shōgekijō] [Photographer unidentified]. [Tōkyō: unidentified printer, ca. 1933]. A set of five photographs depicting actors and actresses from an early Shōwa periodperformance of Hamlet. The photographs are thought to portray Susukida Kenji as Hamlet, Maruyama Sadao as Claudius, Takatsu Keiko as Ophelia, and Yamagishi Shizue or Yamamoto Yasue as Gertrude. The images may have advertised a run of Hamlet which began on October 5th, 1933, at the famed Tsukiji Shōgekijō ("Tsukiji Little Theatre") in Tokyo and continued until the 25th. The 1933 performance was based on the Japanese translation of the play by famous playwright Tsubouchi Shōyōand was directed by Kume Masao. Masaki Yoshikatsu argues in his article On the Decline of Proletarian Theatre in Hamlet: On the 1933 Performance in the Tsukiji Little Theatre (2006) that one of the directors "interpreted Hamlet and Shakespearean plays as Socialist Realism". The portrait of Hamlet is blind-stamped with the name "M. Sakamoto", probably the photographer or printer. Photographs of early Japanese performances of Shakespearean plays are, needless to say, difficult to find.Five photographs in presumed original envelope. Damage to edges of Claudius and Gertrude photographs. Minor water damage to extremities of Hamlet portrait. A few marks and stains to other images. Small crease to corner of one photograph. Verso paper peeled off in places. Good to very good overall. Photographs measure approx. 13.8 x 8.7 cm; Hamlet portrait measures 15.1 x 10.4 cm. Photographer/printer's name in English. No other text." Ordered from Hozuki Books D9446, 2022-01-26. Catalogue Hōzuki Books Ninth Catalogue, Feb. 2021, item #14.

272630 5 items: 16 x 11 cm; 1 item: 27 x 21.5 cm