The Meiji Prince

At the age of thirty, in 1874, Hamish Boyd found himself living a routine life as a photographer in San Francisco - at a time when his profession was still a novelty in many quarters. And just as he expected to remain locked into his daily regimen in the years to come, a surprising opportunity presented itself, offering him the chance to travel to the exotic land of Japan on an assignment for a member of the Imperial family. Soon, he was teaching his photography skills to employees of a Royal Prince who operated a woodblock print postcard enterprise and wanted to expand it by including photographic postcards. And then one day, Hamish was invited to tea at the home of a reclusive former samurai, Master Toshiro, and embarked upon an adventure unlike anything he could have imagined. This experience would be played out against the backdrop of a nation in turmoil, due to the rapid modernization and adoption of Western ways demanded by the new Meiji Government. And his stay in this exotic nation would have profound consequences for the rest of Hamish's lifetime.