The internet has been buzzing this week in an announcement that the Metropolitan Museum of Art has released almost 400,000 high-resolution images to the public. It’s a rare move and, notably, a shift in conservative attitude that most museums have maintained for fear of forgery and cheap replicas. I shifted through the archives and sure enough it’s a treasure trove of artifacts, print, photographs and anything else your history-loving heart desires.

Here are several photographs I found from the late 1800s in Japan. Many are by Shinichi Suzuki (1835-1918) who photographed Japan for a foreign newsmagazine called The Far East, which ran during the 1870s. After his wood and wicker family business was destroyed by a tsunami in 1854, Suzuki traveled to Yokohama where he became an established photographer. Many of his photographs were hand-colored, which is why they appear more realistic and modern than the black and white photos.

This photo above is actually one of my favorites. Judging by the date and location, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that it’s from the arrival ceremony of the first Japanese diplomatic delegation to the US. The Baltimore Sun has an account of the arrival, which was characterized as a huge attraction for onlookers and gawkers.