Gusokuya Kahei (具足屋嘉兵衛) (publisher mid 1840s - early 1870s)

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Biography:

The Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints says "The founder of the firm was an actor, who eventually abandoned his profession due to illness and began working as an ukiyo-e artist under Utagawa Kunisada using the name Utagawa Kuniharu (d. 1839). He subsequently turned to publishing. The firm issued prints by artists such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Utagawa Kuniteru II. The third head of the firm was Fukuda Kumajirō (d. 1898), who in the Meiji era published prints by Kobayashi Kiyochika, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Utagawa Yoshiiku, Inoue Yasuji and Toyohara Kunichika (e.g. One Hundred Roles of Baikō [Onoe Kikugorō V] [Baikō hyakushu no uchi]. 1893-94, and One Hundred Roles of Ichikawa Danjūrō engei hyakuban], 1893-98/99[-1903]... published together with his relative Fukuda Kumatarō) The firm Gusokuya (Fukuda Hatsujirō, d. 1939) also published prints of the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars by Kunichika, Adachi Ginkō, Kobayashi Kiyochika, Yōshū Chikanobu and Utagawa Kunimasa IV and Ikeda Terukata..."

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Publisher in Edo/Tokyo (Marks 085). Artists published by this house include Ginkō, Hiroshige II, Hiroshige III, as Kunisada II aka Toyokuni IV, Kunisada III (aka Kunimasa IV and Toyokuni V), Kuniyoshi, Kunichika, Toyokuni III, Yoshitora, Yoshiiku and Yoshimori.

[Artists in the Lyon Collection published by this house are highlighted in bold type.]

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Marks in his 'Remarks' section notes: "Founder died in 1885. Son of the publisher Gusokuya Sahei 具足屋佐兵衛 (1807-1/1839, Arashi Tokusaburō II/III 二/三代目嵐徳三郎, Utagawa Kuniharu 歌川国春). Took over Kagiya Shōbei's business in VIII/1864. Became Fukuda Kumajirō."