抄録
Matajiro Yokoyama (1860 – 1942), known as the “father of Japanese paleontology,” was not only a professor of the Imperial University of Tokyo, where he described numerous fossils, but he also authored many books on paleontology, geology, and more. However, there is limited documentation of his early life, and little is known about his family.
In this paper, we present findings from a collection of 30 old photographs donated to Nagasaki City in 2022 by Takashi Yokoyama, the grandson of Matajiro Yokoyama. These photographs are significant for the following reasons:
1. These old photographs of Matajiro Yokoyama, captured by multiple photographers, including Hikoma Ueno, during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, serve as invaluable resources for gaining insights into the early life of Matajiro Yokoyama.
2. This report unveiled several previously unseen old photographs, including a solo portrait of Matajiro Yokoyama during his studies in Germany and images of his father, Tokusai (Mochimitsu), who served as a Dutch interpreter in the late Edo period.
3. The inclusion of a photograph inscribed with “Brother Shizuka Hori, younger brother Matajiro Yokoyama, fifteen years old” revealed that Shizuka Hori, a figure with limited documentation, is indeed identical to Yunosuke (Masamitsu) Yokoyama, Matajiro’s brother-in-law, who was adopted from the Hori family. This photograph also sheds light on his re-adoption of the name “Hori” following his divorce from Matajiro’s older half-sister Ko.
4. These old photographs, spanning from Matajiro’s childhood to youth, were predominantly taken at the H. Ueno’s Photographic Studio, suggesting a deep connection to Niwa Yokoyama, Matajiro’s foster mother and the older sister of Hikoma Ueno.
5. These materials provide valuable insights into the relationships between the esteemed Yokoyama, Hori, and Ueno families during the early Meiji period, making these photos indispensable for understanding the history of Nagasaki.
