In this paper, the value of newspaper serial novel's illustrations as a source of data in an image database of fashion, dress, and behavior from 1868 to 1945 in Japan is discussed. First, the positioning of illustrators and the new technology of this time as a precondition for the evaluation are described. After 1900, European-style painters entered a world of illustrations occupied by Japanese-style painters. Moreover, new technology such as phototype process was added. All these contributed to changes to illustrations from around the turn of the century. Illustrations, which previously had only been drawn in the Japanese style, became more naturalistic, with shadows included, for example. The heroine of those novels was also released from the Ukiyo-e style, being depicted with much greater expression and in a more realistic fashion. Such illustrations, with high historical credibility, are essential to this database, and make up about 40% of the total images.
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