Walter J. Clutterbuck
19th Century photographer
Published: Feb 8, 2020


photo source: framtida.no/2019/01/17/da-turismen-kom-til-ishavet/attachment/walter-j-clutterbuck 		Walter John Clutterbuck (1853-1937) born in Chippenham, Wiltshire, was from an aristocratic English family and travelled the world pursuing his hobbies of collecting plants, writing and taking photographs. He wrote "About Ceylon and Borneo; Being an Account of Two Visits to Ceylon, One to Borneo, and How We Fell Out on Our Homeward Journey," "Three In Norway By Two of Them" and "B.C., 1887: A ramble in British Columbia."

Clutterbuck was the first to photograph Japan. One of his albums, mostly of mainland Japan, was compiled in 1898, just before he sailed to the Okinawa. Clutterbuck was seemingly very taken with the place and penned an article about his trip, writing in extremely complimentary terms about the ‘Luchuans’ he met.

Not much is known about Walter J. Clutterbuck, especially as his photographs are extremely rare. During his travels he often used a stereoscopic camera which was disguised to look like large binoculars. The camera lenses were built into one side, and he was thereby able appear to be gazing at his subjects who would not know that they were being photographed. In that manner he was able to obtain very relaxed and natural poses.


photo source: Facebook post in ClickOkinawa.com group by Rob Oechsle

Portraits taken in Japan prior to Clutterbuck’s were posed and contrived; normally shot in studios. This album, however, contains a unique snapshot of Meiji-era Japanese life, comprised of beautifully composed portraits of people going about their everyday business.


photo source: bonhams.com/auctions

Clutterbuck’s skill as a photographer has remained largely unrecognized, but the delicacy and beauty of his photos show him to have been a talented artist. As a pictorialist, Clutterbuck was clearly concerned that his photographs should be artistic, and his landscapes and seascapes evoke contemporary impressionist painting.


photo source: bonhams.com/auctions


photo source: Facebook post in ClickOkinawa.com group by Rob Oechsle

Photographs of 19th century Okinawa are very rare. Terry Bennett, author of Photography in Japan 1853-1912 discovered an album of seventy photos taken by Clutterbuck during a brief visit to Okinawa in December, 1898 to January, 1899. The gelatin silver photographs are all approximately 3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches (83 x 65 mm).


photo source: bonhams.com/auctions

Clutterbuck began his visit to Japan in Tokyo during May, 1898. By September and October he had migrated to the Hakone area and he eventually made his way, via Kyushu, to Okinawa in December, 1898. His photos of Okinawa are roughly evenly split between Naha and Shuri. All of his images are interesting and representative of life on the island. The images include people, street and village scenes, ships and boats, houses, potteries, paper makers, market stalls, tombs and cemeteries, Shuri Castle walls, temple grounds, a pigsty, and a group of Luchuan musical instruments.


photo source: Photography in Japan 1853-1912 (Bennett)

He also included in his album a photo of Mrs. Clutterbuck in a rickshaw and their interpreter named Masuda.


photo source: Facebook post in ClickOkinawa.com group by Rob Oechsle

Walter J. Clutterbuck remains one of only a handful of photographers to have worked in Okinawa during the Bakumatsu and Meiji eras.

References:

  • Facebook post to ClickOkinawa.com group by Rob Oechsle
  • bonhams.com/auctions
  • Photography in Japan 1853-1912, Terry Bennett
  • framtida.no/2019/01/17/da-turismen-kom-til-ishavet/attachment/walter-j-clutterbuck

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