Image colourized from the original by Anthony Zois
Image colourized from the original by Anthony Zois

 

 Japanese - English

 

Japanese Photographer

 

There is no known image of the man

 

The following images are courtesy of Lord Meher ; Bhau Kalchuri - pages 1379, 1441, 1443, 1444, 1452 and 1461.

Negatives are owned by Martin Cook, who purchased them from Imai's widow.

 

Meher Baba was taken by his English followers to Kinye Imai's Studio at  83 Ebury Street London W1 on Wednesday the 30th September 1931 where he was photographed. 6 portraits were taken in black & white. All images colourized by Anthony Zois.

 


83 EBURY STREET LONDON W1

 

Property images courtesy of Google's "street view"

 

July 18, 1956 : London

 

The same evening at 8 P.M., another reception for the public was held at the Rubens Hotel, and almost one hundred seventy-five people attended. Among the crowd included Kathleen Pritchard, Mollie and Douglas Eve, Stephanie Haggard, the Lawtons, Mr. and Mrs. Imai (the Japanese photographer who had taken Baba's portraits in 1931), and several friends of Irene Conybeare. Each person was allowed half a minute to meet Baba and receive prasad. Tom Hopkinson brought each person to Baba. Will and Delia were seated on either side of him. Baba looked resplendent seated on a purple satin-covered settee with velvet cushions, purple hangings in the background and a huge canopy of flowers on either side arranged by Dorothy Hopkinson. Baba looked absolutely regal and glowing the whole evening. Refreshments of tea, cakes and sandwiches were served and again entertainment was performed.

 


Lord Meher Volume 14, Page 4948

 

 

The following are artworks inspired by the photographs taken by Kinye Imai.

 

The American artist Charles Mills painted 3 of the portraits.

 

http://www.millsstudio.com

 

1.

2.
2.
3.
3.

 

 


The American artist Gregg Rosen also painted from these photographs

 

http://www.greggfineart.com/

The American artist David Jermann also painted from these photographs


The Australian artist Trisha Migdoll also painted from these photographs


The American artist David Barison also painted from these photographs.


 

The Indian artist  Naresh Kanigiri also painted from these photographs.

 

The American artist  Cherie Plumlee also created an artwork from these photographs.

 

The American artist  Lyn Ott also painted from these photographs.


Assorted Artists


Marguerite Poley
Marguerite Poley
Unknown artist
Unknown artist
Leroy Parker
Leroy Parker
Rusty Bostwick
Rusty Bostwick
Phil Hocking
Phil Hocking

The Australian artist Claire Mataira also painted from these photographs

 

Imai Studio London Telephone listings

Kinye Imai - 1933 _ London Surnames A - K Aug - page 869 British Phone Book A-K
Kinye Imai - 1933 _ London Surnames A - K Aug - page 869 British Phone Book A-K
Kinye Imai - 1939 _ London Surnames A - K Aug - page 1239 British Phone Book A-K
Kinye Imai - 1939 _ London Surnames A - K Aug - page 1239 British Phone Book A-K
1943 _ London Surnames A - K _ page 1074
1943 _ London Surnames A - K _ page 1074

1927 - 1934 = 32 Ebury Street, SW1
1935 - 1939 = 65 Ebury Street, SW1
1940 - 1949 = 3 Kensington High Street,  W8
1950 - 1951 = 3 Kensington High Street, W8 ( 2 entries those years) + 307 Royal Palace Hotel, W8
1952 - 1963 =  3 Kensington High Street,  W8
gap
1966 - 1968 =  3 Kensington High Street,  W8
1973 - last entry K. Imai Photog. 3 Kensington High Street.

All the above listings are courtesy of Paul Edwards

 Article appeared in the Meher News Exchange - Oct. 1973. Courtesy of Dennis Schlaen
Article appeared in the Meher News Exchange - Oct. 1973. Courtesy of Dennis Schlaen
Oct. 2019 : Martin & Christine Cook at the Meher Centre, Myrtle Beach, SC., USA. Photo taken by Anthony Zois
Oct. 2019 : Martin & Christine Cook at the Meher Centre, Myrtle Beach, SC., USA. Photo taken by Anthony Zois