In 2015, when Japanese-Australian artist Mayu Kanamori came across hundreds of old, black-and-white photos of Japanese people, taken in Japan, at a flea market in Australia she felt drawn to them, but also conflicted.

How did these photos of families posing with newborn babies, brides in traditional wedding kimono and children on school excursions end up in Australia? And why were they for sale?

All the market seller could tell her was the photographs came from a deceased estate in Geelong, just over an hour southwest of Melbourne, capital of the southeastern state of Victoria.