Japanese American Incarceration Photo Archive of Families and Soldiers at Heart Mountain Amache and Pomona Assembly Center 1940s

Heart Mountain Pomona Assembly Center

Photograph

Japanese American incarceration photographs dating from World War II document civilian life and military presence at several internment and assembly centers established after the forced removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast. Following Executive Order 9066 in 1942, more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were confined in temporary assembly centers and longer term relocation camps administered by the War Relocation Authority. The photographs record daily activities of men, women, and children within these camps and illustrate the physical environment of the barracks settlements created to house incarcerated civilians during the war.

Archive contains six original silver gelatin photographs measuring approximately 2.5 × 2.75 inches to 3.5 × 5.75 inches. The images depict Japanese American families and individuals at Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming, Camp Amache in Granada Colorado, and Pomona Assembly Center in California. Several photographs show families gathered in front of barracks style housing units typical of the camps. One image from Amache shows a family of six standing on the steps of their assigned unit, with the wooden barracks structure visible behind them. Another photograph from Pomona shows two United States soldiers seated on a storage trunk outside a camp building, likely serving as patrol or security personnel. One image from Heart Mountain shows a military medic standing beside an ambulance truck while gesturing toward camp structures in the distance. Other photographs include a group portrait of Japanese American young men standing in front of a brick building, possibly a school building within the camp, and a separate image of the same individual standing beside a lake. Another photograph shows a young Japanese American girl playing on a see saw while families watch a sports game in the background with camp buildings visible beyond the field.

Pomona Assembly Center served as one of the temporary detention facilities established in 1942 before incarcerated families were transferred to permanent camps such as Heart Mountain. Heart Mountain became the fourth largest relocation center, eventually housing nearly fourteen thousand people, while Amache in Colorado confined more than seven thousand internees, the majority of whom were American citizens by birth. Living quarters in these camps consisted of small rooms within hastily constructed wooden barracks assigned to individual families. The photographs preserve small moments of social life and recreation within these confined communities, illustrating how families attempted to maintain routines despite the conditions of incarceration. Photographs remain clear and well preserved with light age wear consistent with vernacular prints. Very good condition overall and a revealing visual record of Japanese American life within wartime relocation centers.

Item #21152

Price: $1,580.00