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Frank S. Matsura: Iconoclast Photographer of the American West
A captivating collection of Native American portraiture by early 20th-century Japanese photographer Frank S. Matsura frames the rarely told story of his work and unique personal life.
Frank S. Matsura (1873-1913) was an immigrant photographer, a local hero, a charismatic original, an enigma, and a man of the community whose legacy has grown over time. Today, historians are still compiling the details of Frank’s unconventional life, and his identity and images are enjoying a revival. An expansion of academic scholarship, documentaries, exhibitions, and regional historical interests, particularly regarding his Native American portraiture, has resulted in a more vivid understanding of the man and his
Matsura’s photographs of local tribal members reveal an honesty and empathy, a counterpoint to the contrived or nostalgic seen in his contemporaries’ images from the same period.
His oeuvre of just ten years (due to his unexpected passing from tuberculosis) documents everyday local events and the cacophony of characters who visited his studio for dime portraits.
There are parallels to be found between Matsura’s work and today’s society in attempts to rise above anti-Asian bias, the continued pursuit of cultural agency, and a desire to individually define what America can and should be.
Along with beautifully reproduced black-and-white photographs, the book features narratives from five scholars who give life and context to Matsura’s work, celebrating his captivating photography as a look into immigrant artists, American identity, and the history of a fluid and multicultured exceptionalism.
THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE BOOK OF ITS Frank Matsura was a Japanese-born photographer who lived in northern Washington State in the early 20th century. This is a rare and comprehensive exploration of his life, including the juxtaposition of his work against the images of Native American people by American photographer Edward S. Curtis.
MATSURA'S SINGULAR WORK AND Matsura’s work broke many cultural and photographic taboos of the time. He took candid and relaxed photos of his subjects, including local Native American tribes. Many of his images were spontaneous group photos of locals in character and costume. He included himself in many of his photos, and he included interracial couples in his images as well.
A HIDDEN FIGURE WHOSE TIME HAS This collection was based on a 2023 exhibit at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. Interest in Matsura’s work has gained momentum over the years, and this book coincides with the release of Emmy Award–winning filmmaker Beth Harrington’s documentary Our Mr. Matsura on his work and legacy.
Perfect
American and Native American history buffs
Photographers and artists
Fans of Frank Matsura's unconventional story and work
Lovers of vintage, historical, and portrait photography
Frank S. Matsura (1873-1913) was an immigrant photographer, a local hero, a charismatic original, an enigma, and a man of the community whose legacy has grown over time. Today, historians are still compiling the details of Frank’s unconventional life, and his identity and images are enjoying a revival. An expansion of academic scholarship, documentaries, exhibitions, and regional historical interests, particularly regarding his Native American portraiture, has resulted in a more vivid understanding of the man and his
Matsura’s photographs of local tribal members reveal an honesty and empathy, a counterpoint to the contrived or nostalgic seen in his contemporaries’ images from the same period.
His oeuvre of just ten years (due to his unexpected passing from tuberculosis) documents everyday local events and the cacophony of characters who visited his studio for dime portraits.
There are parallels to be found between Matsura’s work and today’s society in attempts to rise above anti-Asian bias, the continued pursuit of cultural agency, and a desire to individually define what America can and should be.
Along with beautifully reproduced black-and-white photographs, the book features narratives from five scholars who give life and context to Matsura’s work, celebrating his captivating photography as a look into immigrant artists, American identity, and the history of a fluid and multicultured exceptionalism.
THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE BOOK OF ITS Frank Matsura was a Japanese-born photographer who lived in northern Washington State in the early 20th century. This is a rare and comprehensive exploration of his life, including the juxtaposition of his work against the images of Native American people by American photographer Edward S. Curtis.
MATSURA'S SINGULAR WORK AND Matsura’s work broke many cultural and photographic taboos of the time. He took candid and relaxed photos of his subjects, including local Native American tribes. Many of his images were spontaneous group photos of locals in character and costume. He included himself in many of his photos, and he included interracial couples in his images as well.
A HIDDEN FIGURE WHOSE TIME HAS This collection was based on a 2023 exhibit at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. Interest in Matsura’s work has gained momentum over the years, and this book coincides with the release of Emmy Award–winning filmmaker Beth Harrington’s documentary Our Mr. Matsura on his work and legacy.
Perfect
American and Native American history buffs
Photographers and artists
Fans of Frank Matsura's unconventional story and work
Lovers of vintage, historical, and portrait photography
- GenresPhotographyArt
168 pages, Hardcover
Published September 9, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 2, 2026
I like to joke that since I moved to California (aka "The West") in middle school, that's why I know nothing about Westward Expansion or the gold rush or just, western towns, and while this is mostly a joke there is definitely some education kids in California got that I didn't from the mid-Atlantic!
But reading through this collection of essays and photographs, it also seems like not enough people know a single thing about Frank S Matsura, a man who seemed friend to both indigenous population of the Pacific Northwest, and the settlers that came into their lands. This book really does have everything, but especially reproductions of photographs that have not only withstood the test of time, but have a really important cultural and historical relevancy that is so rare and so integral to just being a human in a modern age... they're just normal life for the most part. Landscapes, messing around in the photo studio with friends and props, people both important and not caught on film for us to look at so many years later. The collection of essays tie us, the readers, into the importance of these photographs over Matsura's short life, and even the sort of special way the everything was kept and not edited as he unfortunately died rather quickly. I feel really privileged I was able to read this book, and look at these photographs.
Thank you to Chronicle Books (Princeton Architectural Press) and NetGalley for the eARC for review.
But reading through this collection of essays and photographs, it also seems like not enough people know a single thing about Frank S Matsura, a man who seemed friend to both indigenous population of the Pacific Northwest, and the settlers that came into their lands. This book really does have everything, but especially reproductions of photographs that have not only withstood the test of time, but have a really important cultural and historical relevancy that is so rare and so integral to just being a human in a modern age... they're just normal life for the most part. Landscapes, messing around in the photo studio with friends and props, people both important and not caught on film for us to look at so many years later. The collection of essays tie us, the readers, into the importance of these photographs over Matsura's short life, and even the sort of special way the everything was kept and not edited as he unfortunately died rather quickly. I feel really privileged I was able to read this book, and look at these photographs.
Thank you to Chronicle Books (Princeton Architectural Press) and NetGalley for the eARC for review.
July 29, 2025
Out September 9th, 2025
Iconic piece of literature. His portraits, often candid and inclusive, reflect a dynamic and multicultural America rarely seen in historical archives. This richly illustrated volume doesn’t just showcase Matsura’s artistry—it reclaims his legacy. Through essays by scholars and historians, Holloman frames Matsura’s work as a radical act of cultural hybridity and resistance against anti-Asian bias and colonial narratives. The book is both a visual feast and a critical exploration of identity, belonging, and the power of art to transcend boundaries. For lovers of photography, history, and untold stories, The Iconoclast Photographer of the American West is a haunting, necessary addition to the canon.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Princeton Architectural Press for this ARC!
Iconic piece of literature. His portraits, often candid and inclusive, reflect a dynamic and multicultural America rarely seen in historical archives. This richly illustrated volume doesn’t just showcase Matsura’s artistry—it reclaims his legacy. Through essays by scholars and historians, Holloman frames Matsura’s work as a radical act of cultural hybridity and resistance against anti-Asian bias and colonial narratives. The book is both a visual feast and a critical exploration of identity, belonging, and the power of art to transcend boundaries. For lovers of photography, history, and untold stories, The Iconoclast Photographer of the American West is a haunting, necessary addition to the canon.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Princeton Architectural Press for this ARC!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews