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THE ARTS
Partridge, Elizabeth

Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal about the Japanese American Incarceration

132 pp. | Chronicle | October, 2022 | Trade ISBN 978-1-4521-6510-3 $21.99
(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Lauren Tamaki. Numerous books have been written about the forced removal and imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII, but what sets this one apart is Partridge's focus on how three different photographers visually documented their experiences in one camp: Manzanar. Dorothea Lange, already known for her body of work during the Great Depression, took pictures for the War Relocation Authority from March to July 1942; her empathy and awareness of injustice are apparent, but many of her photos were impounded by the army. Photographer Toyo Miyatake was himself imprisoned in Manzanar from 1942–1945; he smuggled camera parts in and was able to take candid shots of people in the community as well as a few photos of forbidden things like the guard towers. Ansel Adams, famed for photographing the natural beauty of California's landscapes, came to Manzanar in fall 1943. He wanted his photos to show the prisoners as hard-working, cheerful, and resilient in preparation for their eventual release; but they suggest an overly idealized view. The other significant feature of this book is how the design incorporates the black-and-white photographs so organically that it often feels like an extended picture book. Tamaki's ink and watercolor illustrations create a cohesive whole that encompasses both the text and historical artifacts, while extending and deepening the visceral qualities of the narrative. Extensive back matter covers, among other things, biographical vignettes; careful source notes and photo credits; and essays on citizenship, civil liberties, the model minority myth, and the use of terminology to describe the camps.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

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