Posted by John Fiorillo on December 19, 2001 at 10:01:39:
In Reply to: Another Question.... posted by Jan Andersson on December 19, 2001 at 06:14:08:
Jan,
(1) In general, for ukiyo-e single-sheet print designs, the absence of a traditional Japanese album backing is a small but positive selling point, as it indicates the print is closer to its original state. It does not necessarily have anything to do with the quality of the impression, nor does it tell you whether it was once backed and then subsequently removed from its backing. As for Yoshitoshi's 100 Moon series, the publisher Akiyama Buemon issued albums dated the fifth month of1892 soon after the entire series had been completed. Some, but not all, of the non-backed impressions from this series would have been earlier, between 1885-1892 (depending on the design). However, it is the quality of the impression that one must use to make assessments about the edition. Ignore the presence or absence of an album backing in making such judgments.
(2) From what I have heard and read, it appears that 18th-19th century albums were generally manufactured by those who were skilled at doing so. Publishers would employ album makers, as would print sellers who wanted to combine certain prints into albums for sale to the public. Even private collectors who amassed their single-sheets prints over time and then later decided to combine them into albums would typically have it done by professionals. The idea that collectors slapped together glue, backing papers, and prints into amateurishly made albums would have been the exception to the rule. The techniques were basically the same, regardless of who decided to compile the albums.
(3) In general there would be no difference between prints designed for single sheets and those for albums. Book design was a different matter, particularly as double-page images were designed to be printed with each half of the image on a different sheet that would join up after binding in a book.
(4) Prints were made on non-backed sheets of paper. They would not have been backed first and then printed.
John