Suzuki Shin'ichi I

Suzuki was born as the third son of a family named Takahashi[2]) in Iwashina (岩科村) (now Matsuzaki, Shizuoka) in July 1835.

The same year as his marriage, a major tsunami (resulting from one of the Ansei great earthquakes) destroyed the building and ended the business.

[4] In 1872–1873 Suzuki was commissioned by J. R. Black, publisher of The Far East, to produce a photographic series documenting rural life.

Okamoto became Suzuki Shin'ichi II, and the older photographer changed his own name in turn.

Purchasers of his works were mostly foreign residents and visitors, and in addition to sales from his own studio, Suzuki's photographs were distributed by Sargent, Farsari & Co.[10] His studio was advertised as early as 1880, in Keeling's Guide to Japan, and subsequently in the Japan Directory until 1908, offering daguerreotypes, photographs (including large format hand-coloured albumen prints), and Suzuki's innovation of photographs printed on porcelain, the latter selling for 12 yen each.