Shima Ryū facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shima Ryū
Born	1823 (1823)
Died	1900 (aged 76–77)
Nationality	Japanese
Known for	Photography
Spouse(s)	Shima Kakoku ​ (m. 1855)​

Shima Ryū (島 隆, 1823–1900) was a talented Japanese artist. She was also a very important person in the early days of photography. Shima Ryū was born in Kiryū, which is now part of Gunma Prefecture.

She went to art school in Edo (which we now call Tokyo). There, she met another student named Shima Kakoku (1827–1870). They got married in 1855. After they married, they traveled around the Kantō region. They might have shown their artwork to people as they traveled.

Shima Ryū: A Photography Pioneer

Shima Ryū and her husband, Shima Kakoku, learned how to take photographs. In the spring of 1864, Shima Ryū took a picture of her husband. This photograph is very special. It is thought to be the first photograph ever taken by a Japanese woman.

This is a photo of Shima Kakoku, taken by his wife Shima Ryū in 1864. It was made using a special method called the wet plate process.

How Early Photos Were Made

The original photo of Shima Kakoku was a negative. It was made using a method called the wet-plate method. This was a common way to take photos back then. The negative is now kept at the Tojo Historical Museum.

A print of this photo is still with the Shima family. Another copy, called an albumen print, is at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

Opening a Photography Studio

From about 1865 to 1867, the Shimas ran their own photographic studio in Edo. This was a place where people could go to have their pictures taken. Later, Shima Kakoku started teaching at a school called Kaiseijo.

After her husband passed away in 1870, Shima Ryū moved back to her hometown of Kiryū. There, she opened her very own photography studio. She continued her work until she passed away in 1900. Shima Ryū is remembered as a brave and important artist who helped shape the early world of photography in Japan.