Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyataki, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Show About the Japanese Incarceration, written by Elizabeth Partridge and illustrated by Lauren Tamaki. Chronicle Books, Raincoast. 2022. $33.99 ages 10 and up

 

"She wanted to start photographing as soon as 
she arrived. But she was kept waiting, fuming, 
as her papers and camera were checked and 
rechecked. Finally they let her work, but now 
the military had a new way to control what she
photographed. A guard stuck close to her side, 
watching carefully to make sure she obeyed 
the rules: 

X  No photographing the communal showers
or bathrooms. 

X  No photographing the guard towers with 
their machine guns and searchlights. 

X  No photographing the tall barbed-wire
fences surrounding the camp." 

Being witness to tragic events does not always bring change. That is what happened when three photographers were commissioned to document the forced removal and internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, after FDR issued Executive Act 9066. 

The three photographers - Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams - each had different reasons and perspectives for doing the work. Dorothea Lange, well-known for her photos from the Depression, was meant to show the humanity of the relocation. Instead, they revealed the true horror felt by displaced families and all they had lost. The government that had hired her found the pictures to be so revealing that they filed them away, not to be seen until years later. Toyo Miyatake was sent to the Manzanar War Relocation Center (Family #9975). He had smuggled in his camera lens and a film holder at great peril, if it were discovered.  He had help from a friend with a camera body. Film was next.

"By chance, one salesman was an old friend of Toyo's 
and agreed to smuggle film and darkroom chemicals
into camp. He did it right under the watchful eyes of 
the authorities."

Toyo took photos from a very different perspective, showing horrific living conditions, terrible weather, and eventually being asked to set up a studio to show happy camp events. When he had control of the camera rather than having a government agent take the shots he set up, he was able to further chronicle camp life. He and his family remained until final days, in order to show exactly what happened and how it was handled. 
 

Ansel Adams was also a photographer who documented camp life at Manzanar. He took portraits of happy families. He hoped they would show that the Japanese were 'trustworthy and patriotic' members of American society. None of his made the oppression and racism evident. 

Writing by Elizabeth Partridge (goddaughter of Ms. Lange) is direct and telling. There is no glossing over any of the historical events. Facts are presented clearly, alongside exceptional illustrations that showcase the bleak conditions of the camps and the resilience of the people forced to live there. Ms. Lange and Mr. Adams were not allowed full rein to show how bleak life was for so many, while Mr. Miyataki's work gives a more personal depth to their experiences. Archival photos, and historical documents add to the power of the illustrations, making it clear to readers that nothing was as the government wanted to show the outside world. 

Final images show what the prisoners were given as they departed the camp: a train ticket, $25, and a list of instructions to follow upon departure, and a message: 

"Goodbye and all good wishes
go with you as you leave Manzanar." 

In essays included in back matter, the author adds further information of great importance. Each of the photographers are pictured and presented, a note from both author and writer are included, as well as an explanation of the Model Minority Myth by Ms. Tamaki. Further notes are given numbered pages, photo and credits are added for the many photos included throughout this remarkable book.