Late Nineteenth Century Japanese Firework Catalogs

November 10, 2018 4:35 AM

Catalogs of the Hirayama Fireworks Company with line and color illustrations of the company’s products are provided by the Yokohama Public Library. [via Present/&/Correct and other people …].

The catalogs are in English appear aimed at western markets, and They have stamps at the back reading “C. T. Brock & Co., South Norwood.” Brocks is the oldest firework company in the UK, and was founded in 1698.

To view the catalogs, scroll down the library page and click on the catalog thumbnails. This takes you to individual pages where you can download pdf versions.

posted by carter (13 comments total)

Another company mentioned in the catalogs is The Unexcelled Fireworks Company of New York. Here's some examples of pages from their catalogs as well: 1, 2.

The first example includes an advertisement for Japanese "daylight fireworks."
posted by carter at 5:26 AM on November 10, 2018 [2 favorites]

Those illustrations are lovely. Thanks for sharing!
posted by Sublimity at 5:40 AM on November 10, 2018 [3 favorites]

Oy!
posted by growabrain at 6:11 AM on November 10, 2018

This feels like unboxing and sorting the cards for a very elegant tabletop game you backed on Kickatarter.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:14 AM on November 10, 2018 [10 favorites]

Thanks, this is the kind of thing that the internet was supposed to do by design. Cataloging collections & making the publicly accessible is the lord’s work.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:09 AM on November 10, 2018 [2 favorites]

These are beautiful.

Although I did have a little OCD twitch when I realized the illustrations for No. 13 and No. 15 had 14 bursts.
posted by me3dia at 7:40 AM on November 10, 2018

These are awesome. I want to get about ten of these illustrations as prints and hang them on my walls.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:07 AM on November 10, 2018 [2 favorites]

Another company mentioned in the catalogs is The Unexcelled Fireworks Company of New York.

Cool! The illustrations look like something out of a Ken Levine game.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 8:31 AM on November 10, 2018

The first example includes an advertisement for Japanese "daylight fireworks."

I love the "DAY TIME ONLY" rule!
posted by rhizome at 8:33 AM on November 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

Ok, who's going to be the first recording artist to use one of these as an album cover?
posted by fings at 10:04 AM on November 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

I guess we know where Hanabi got some inspiration.
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 10:49 AM on November 10, 2018 [2 favorites]

LOVE this!
posted by delight at 12:53 PM on November 10, 2018

This extremely my jam. It is jam on paper to me, it is so much my jam.
posted by ardgedee at 1:54 PM on November 10, 2018 [1 favorite]