#  A Good Type - Anatomy of a Scientific Photograph 

 



 ![anatomy of a scientific photograph.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4921/files/peabody/files/anatomy-japan.jpeg)

 

This popular studio image was titled “Singing Girl” in a tourist album. “Singing Girl,” a common term for “geisha” in nineteenth-century Japan, displays the visual signs of her profession: elaborate dress, hairstyle, and a *shamisen*, a three-stringed, fretless, banjo-like instrument. Archived in the museum under “Japan,” and captioned by its collector as “A Good Type,” the image was generalized into a purported representation of typical female dress.