Frank (Sakae) Matsura (1873–1913) was an early 20th-century Japanese photographer who travelled from Japan to America in 1901 where he lived until his early death.[1] More than 1,800 of his frontier-era photographs and glass plate negatives have been preserved by the Okanogan County Historical Society and Washington State University.[2]
He was born Sakae Matsuura (松浦 栄, Matsūra Sakae) in 1873,[3] a descendant of Emperor Saga, the 52nd emperor of Japan, through the Matsuura, lords of Hirado Island (northwest of Kyūshū).[4] For unknown reasons, Matsura led his friends and acquaintances to believe he was seven years younger than he actually was.[5] For example, the US Census sheet for 1910 lists his age as 28,[6] and the headstone on his grave states “aged 32 years” in 1913.[7] Researchers discovered his passport application dated 1901 for a “Sakae Matsuura” that lists his age at 27.[8] Matsura’s earliest photos give his name as Frank S. Matsuura.[9]