Felice Beato—A Photographer on the Eastern Road

Born in Venice, raised in then British Corfu, and apprenticed to an English photographer during the Crimean War, Beato (1832–1909) was perhaps the first international photojournalist. He lived for more than 20 years in Japan during its first decades of modernization, and also spent significant periods in India, China, and Burma. This book, the catalogue for a current exhibit, includes 120 samples of his work, along with an excellent short biography and appreciation by Lacoste (coauthor of Irving Penn), the Getty’s assistant curator of photography. An equally fine shorter piece is by Ritchin, former photography editor of the New York Times Magazine, on Beato’s war photography (he covered battles in at least five wars), images of which are included, some almost unbearably graphic, such as one of a corpse-strewn fort that British soldiers conquered during the Second Opium War. Particularly striking are Beato’s wide variety of Asian cities and forts, and his staged shots of locals in native dress—although readers will likely crave added context for his subjects. These beautifully presented and explained images will appeal to students of both 19th-century photography and Western imperialist sensibility in the Far East. (Dec.)