Arima Sama Palace, Edo

In 1863 Beato joined a Swiss diplomatic mission and managed to take several views of the shogunate capital, Edo (present-day Tokyo). When he set up his camera to make this picture, officers hastily approached him and urged him to stop. Beato asked them to confirm this command with their superior and meanwhile made two exposures. The threatening officers did indeed appear in the final print Beato made.