Perry brought an early version of the camera to Japan in order to experiment with the new technology. Eliphalet M. Brown, Jr. was the official "photographer," then called a daguerreotypist. On May 7, 1854, Perry arranged for Brown to daguereotype some lovely Japanese ladies. This event caused a lot of excitement throughout Shimoda. People came from all over to watch the experiment with the "miraculous box." Rumors circulated that these photos would be sent to the "American king" to show him what "a Japanese beauty looked like." Another rumor was that anyone who had been photographed would die within three years! Luckily, this rumor was unfounded, and more people in Japan started to use these cameras.

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