Friday, September 21, 2012

Japanese Internment - Francis Stewart

I just recently discovered a comprehensive archive of photos taken in the internment camps for Japanese-Americans during World War II. (It's here.) I've been culling the best from this collection and cleaning them up. The photos are fairly low resolution compared to others I have been posting here, but they are good enough.

I have to say, I find these photos immensely poignant. To be sure, there is a propaganda factor at play here, depicting the camps in the best light possible, and I'm sure that behind these smiling faces there were some dark undercurrents. Nonetheless, I am truly impressed with how these people coped with their situation and made the best of it.

 A group of children evacuees enjoying a game of Black Jack 
at the War Relocation Authority center, Poston, Arizona, 1942

 A group picture of the sewing school, Poston, Arizona, 1943

 A small evacuee of Japanese ancestry amuses himself while his parents are entertained by an outdoor musical show at this War Relocation Authority center, Poston, Arizona, 1942

 A view at a dance given to celebrate the Harvest Festival at Camp 2, Thanksgiving day, Rivers, Arizona, 1942

 A view at a dance given to celebrate the Harvest Festival at Camp 2, Thanksgiving day, Rivers, Arizona, 1942

 A view of cauliflower, which is being grown for its seed, Rivers, Arizona, 1943

 A view of the Reports Office, at this War Relocation Authority Center. Russell Bankson, Reports Officer, is shown on the far right. Topaz, Utah, 1943

 A young evacuee of Japanese ancestry entertains her fellow evacuees with a demonstration of her tap dancing ability. This was one number in an outdoor musical show, Poston, Arizona, 1942

 Barn dance given in Block 12. No music was available so evacuees of Japanese descent sang "Pop Goes the Weasel" and clapped hands while dancing the Virginia Reel. Poston, Arizona, 1942

 Beauty shop. Maye Morikawa, Poston, Arizona, 1943

 Butte Nursery and Kindergarten children's snack hour. Rivers, Arizona, 1944

 Cheiko Neeno, Nurse's Aid student at the Poston Hospital, 
attending a baby patient in the children's ward, 1943

 Dry goods canteen, camp 1, Poston, Arizona, 1943

Editors on the Topaz Times, who have volunteered for combat duty in the army. 
All male members of the staff have volunteered. Topaz, Utah, 1943

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