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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Images of Summer

Tycoon's Summer Gardens at YedoA week into summer and we have the weather to prove it here in DC.  I write this blog post from the comfort of my gray walled cubicle with constant air monitoring to keep the collections cool and consistent.  Although I certainly appreciate my air conditioned luxury, there are some draw backs.  1. Summer is the hardest season to dress for as it may be 100 outside, but it's 60s in the Archives.  2. I catch colds in the summer season when most sicknesses should be on vacation.  3. When I do try and go outside mid-day my body suffers a temperature shock.

So as I sit here in a summer dress, fuzzy slippers and layered shawls I am browsing the Collections Search Center for "summer" images.  If you too are stuck in a frigid gray walled cube, I hope I can offer you some summer respite by viewing these images from the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. 

Taken by Felice Beato, this photograph is a view of tea house across the lake at the Shogun's summer gardens in Tokyo.  A rare description of this print appears on verso. This description details the items found upon the Shogun's summer estate in Tokyo, such as small ponds, ornamental shrubs, cranes, goldfish, and tea houses.
   
From the Henry and Nancy Rosin Collection of Early Photography of Japan.  Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. 

Enjoy Summer!

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