
Limiting the editions to 250, Shinsui and Watanabe began working on the series The First Collection of Modern Beauties in May of 1929. The plan was to create 12 prints that would be sold to a maximum of 200 subscribers, with the remaining 50 prints to be sold in Watanabe’s store. Distribution to subscribers was meant to start in July of 1929. After he designed the last beauty of this series in July 1931, Shinsui kept going, creating the first print for The Second Collection of Modern Beauties in August.