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Photographs of Manzanar War Relocation Center, circa 1942-1945

1 folder
Creator:
Miyatake, Tōyō (1895-1979)
Collection Creator:
Princeton University. Library. Special Collections
Dates:
circa 1942-1945
Located In:
Box B-001856, Folder 19
Extent:
1 folder
Languages:
Multiple languages
Scope and Contents

Consists of 11 photographs of the Manzanar War Relocation Center taken by Tōyō Miyatake while he was incarcerated there during World War II. Subjects include camp buildings, the camp entrance sign, and fellow incarcerees. Miyatake and Ansel Adams included several of these images in a collaborative exhibit and a book published in 1978. These images were printed after the war and stamped with the name of the studio Miyatake opened in 1947.

Existence and Location of Copies

Parts of this collection are available on microfilm, cataloged separately as RCPXM-7497696.

Biography:

Miyatake

Tōyō Miyatake was born in Kagawa prefecture in Japan on October 28, 1895 and immmigrated to the United States in 1909, where he settled in the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles. He became interested in photography in the early 1920s and opened his own photography studio in 1923. Miyatake won many awards for his photography, including the 1926 London International Photography Exhibition. During World War II, the United States government incarcerated Miyatake and his family at the Manzanar concentration camp. He smuggled a camera lens and film plate into the camp against government orders. Another prisoner built a box to house the lens and a former client and hardware salesman procured film for him. Eventually he asked Ralph Merritt, the camp director, to give him permission to take photos, which led to Miyatake being designated the official Manzanar photographer. While incarcerated at Manzanar, Miyatake met and began working with Ansel Adams. The two men published Two Views of Manazar together. After World War II, Miyatake and his family returned to their home in Los Angeles and Miyatake reopened his photo studio where he worked until retiring in 1960. He passed away in 1979.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Acquisition:

Purchased from Johnson Rare Books and Archives in 2022 (AM-2023-022)

Credit this material:

Photographs of Manzanar War Relocation Center; General Manuscripts Miscellaneous Collection, C0140, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (mss): Box B-001856
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Processing Information

Processed by Alexis Antracoli in September 2022. The following sources were consulted when drafting the description and biographical note: Encylopedia Densho: Tōyō Miyatake and information provided by Johnson Rare Books and Archives.

Subject Terms:
Concentration camps -- California -- Manzanar
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945
World War, 1939-1945 -- Japanese Americans
Names:
Manzanar War Relocation Center

Collection Overview

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists of 11 photographs of the Manzanar War Relocation Center taken by Tōyō Miyatake while he was incarcerated there during World War II. Subjects include camp buildings, the camp entrance sign, and fellow incarcerees. Miyatake and Ansel Adams included several of these images in a collaborative exhibit and a book published in 1978. These images were printed after the war and stamped with the name of the studio Miyatake opened in 1947.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by the name of the creator, with unattributed materials at the end.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Purchased from Johnson Rare Books and Archives in 2022 (AM-2023-022)

Accruals

The collection is open and will continue to grow.

Appraisal

No material was separated during processing.

Processing Information

Processed by Alexis Antracoli in September 2022. The following sources were consulted when drafting the description and biographical note: Encylopedia Densho: Tōyō Miyatake and information provided by Johnson Rare Books and Archives.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Photographs of Manzanar War Relocation Center; General Manuscripts Miscellaneous Collection, C0140, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
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Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (mss): Box B-001856

Find More

Existence and Location of Copies

Parts of this collection are available on microfilm, cataloged separately as RCPXM-7497696.

Subject Terms:
Concentration camps -- California -- Manzanar
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945
World War, 1939-1945 -- Japanese Americans