At some point in the 1950s, it became verboten to photograph the gohonzon

But it was clearly just FINE before that.

Exhibit A - I believe that's Ikeda to the far left and, of course, Toda far right.

Exhibit B - I'm not sure which sect this is. Nichiren Shoshu uses a pale gray over-robe to distinguish themselves from other Nichiren sects, but they also use crane bottles in front of the gohonzon, and I don't see these. However, that is the "formal style" gohonzon used in Nichiren Shoshu. Anybody care to hazard a guess?

It was at some point in the 1950s that Nichiren Shoshu developed a doctrine that it was forbidden to photograph the gohonzon. Perhaps they were afraid that the image would capture its soul or something...