Cherry Blossoms, 1925
Washington D.C, United States
Pictured are Sumi and Sada Tamura, daughters of Mr. Teijiro Tamura, former Third Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in the United States.
From a photomechanical colour postcard we found and cross referencing satellite imagery, the picture was taken on the morning of March 28th, 1925.
I don’t take colour references in hand coloured or tinted images as set in stone, as often the companies creating prints or postcard etc. are not necessarily the people who take the image so the colour references can’t always be trusted. In this case, much of the location is still around with only minor changes, so everything but the kimonos and umbrellas are fairly reliable. I took a departure from the kimonos on the postcard and instead found other vintage children’s kimono’s I sampled off as I couldn’t find too much information about the Tamura family.
Still, it’s a fantastic shot and it’s always a good technical challenge to attempt convincing landscape work and complex patterns. I’m still working on a huge piece, which I’m just chipping away at every day. Enjoy.
– Jordan
Original Photograph | Gifted by Herbert A. French; 1947
Format | 1 negative : glass ; 4 x 5 in. or smaller
Source | National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)
Color Reconstruction | Jordan Lloyd
Words | Jordan Lloyd
Original Caption
“Sumi and Sada Tamura, [3/28/25]”
