Adolfo Farsari

FARSARI, Adolfo (1841-1898) Vincenza, Italy. Emigrated to the US in 1863. Fought in the Civil War. Moved to Yokohama, Japan around 1877. Initially a tobacco merchant.

Learned photography in 1883, and purchased the Japan Photographic Association studio and stock from Baron Franz Stillfried in 1885. A fire destroyed the studio and stock in 1886. The stock was rebuilt within several months and he relocated to where USUI Shuzaburo's Yokohama Photographic Company was located.

He named the company A. Farsari & Company which went on to become one of the largest photographic companies in Yokohama with 31 Japanese employees (many were painters who hand-colored photographs) by 1890 according to the Japan Directory. Farsari returned to Italy in 1890 and the company was taken over by others.