Registration, skewing, and fading

The two prints on top show variations in the color of the carver cartouche. The third print below them shows poor registration, skewing of the impression of the story, and changes in colors from exposure to light in a frame. The exposed part of the red margin is much lighter. The yellow in the banner has vanished. The purples and greens have changed to blues because their red and yellow components have faded. The original colors are clearly visible through the unexposed back of the print.

Gusokuya edition
White publisher
Yellow carver
Ono Collection
Gusokuya edition
White publisher
White carver
Yosha Bunko
Copy exposed in frame
Red and yellow have faded
Purple and green are blue
Yosha Bunko
Copy exposed in frame
Original colors visible
through back of print
Yosha Bunko

Tokyo nichinichi shinbun
No. 708
   Circa 1874-6 (1874-12?)
Geigi loses savings

Story in brief

Imagawaya Hina, a geigi of Niigata in Echigo province, was neither beautiful like a Hina doll nor lustrous like peach or cherry blossoms, but was was skilled in playing shamisen, and attracted customers, and had managed to save one-thousand yen. She also had a lover, named Tsurugaya Kiemon, with whom she been for twenty years and had two daughters, the elder of which was also a geigi entertainer. Turugaya lost a lot of money in rice dealings and secretly took Hina's savings. When she discovered the empty drawer in her bureau she confronted Tsuruki, and threatened to publicly sue him, but he stopped her from doing so. She was ill for a while but recovered. (WW)