Stunning vintage photographs depict daily life in 19th century Japan

Friday 29 May 2015 08:07 EDT

(Galerie Verdeau, Paris / The London Photograph Fair )

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Courtesans, geisha, samurai warriors, women playing instruments and traditional games are among the subjects portrayed in the most unique photography series of Edo-era Japan displayed at the London Photograph Fair.

The images, dated back to 1865, were taken by Felice Beato and are hand-tinted albumen prints (black and white photos hand painted to appear 'colour').

Beato, who was living in Yokohama at the time, documented Japanese everyday life over the years. He is often considered as one of the world's first photojournalists, who gained his fame as a war photographer.