Assignment 6

Taguchi Studio Family 1888

This is an image of the Taguchi family in 1888. The photograph is in the inside of a carved wooden frame.  There are six people (four males and two females) on a wooden floor with a white backdrop. Four in the family are wearing Japanese clothing; the color of the Japanese clothing signifies age because the eldest is wearing the lightest and the youngest is wearing the darkest. The other two in the family are wearing suits. The suits are Western which may connote that they have traveled to a Western country. All of their gazes are of direct address which is the most common gaze for posed photographs.  All members have a serious and stern look which signifies that Japan is a serious nation. This image connotes Japan opening up to the West because the photograph has the two members in suits with the members of Japanese clothing. This photograph also tells of Japan’s rich history and its future because a part of each generation is in this photograph and that their lineage will continue into the future. The eldest are the past (the tradition they bring is present) and the young are the future (members in the suits show dealings with the West are part of the future).