The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has recently acquired a phenomenal collection of 79 historic photographs primarily shot between 1919 and 1940 by Japanese American photographers affiliated with camera clubs on the West Coast and Hawaii. These photographs easily could have been lost forever due to the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, who had to hide, sell or destroy their works. This important collection eventually came into the possession of Dennis Reed, a Southern California artist, educator, curator and writer, beginning around the 1980s. Over the course of 35 years, Reed steadily gathered his collection of photography.Shigemi Uyeda (1902-1980), Reflections on the Oil Ditch, about 1925. Gelatin silver print, 133⁄16 x 107⁄16 in. 2019.58.1. © Family of Shigemi Uyeda. Object Credit: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Dr. Kyo Koike (1878-1947), Summer Breeze, about 1925. Gelatin silver print, 8½ x 11¾ in. 2019.47. Object Credit: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

“We are thrilled to have acquired this important collection,” says Getty Museum director Timothy Potts. “The photographs record a critical diversification in the character and subject matter of the medium in America that has not yet been fully appreciated or celebrated. The backstory of their creation, dispersal and rediscovery is a significant, if lesser-known, part of 20th-century American art history. We’re proud to add them to our growing collection of photography by Asian artists and to preserve this work for future generations.” —

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