Support provided by:
The Case:
A San Francisco archive has discovered a set of watercolor paintings of what appears to be a prison camp.
Piecing them together shows they were painted on the back of a Japanese-American internment notice from 1942.
What is the story behind these paintings? Who was the artist? And what was his or her fate?
History Detectives travels to the West Coast to solve the puzzle, uncovering the dramatic story of one of the 120,000 Americans citizens who spent years behind barbed wire, guilty only of being of Japanese descent.
Season 2, Episode 2
Season 3, Episode 7
Detective:
Tukufu Zuberi
Location:San Francisco, California
Related Content
Technique:
Technique:
Related Links
Explore
-
Related Investigation
Superman Sketch
Is this a WWII sketch from the early days of this comic icon?
-
Related Investigation
Ventriloquist Dummy
How did an African-American ventriloquist act become so successful in a time of racial unrest?
-
Also in Depression and WWII: 1929-1945
Survivor Camera
Did this antique camera save a Polish Jew during the Holocaust?
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi
John Brown Letters
How is this woman in Sacramento related to John Brown, the 19th-century abolitionist?
-
Also in Depression and WWII: 1929-1945
Japanese House
How did a Japanese house come to be at the San Francisco World's Fair just months before WWII began?
-
Also in Season 2
John Hunt Morgan Saddle
Could this be a saddle from one of the most audacious attacks launched by the South during the Civil War?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.
Anyone wishing to submit an artifact for investigation should do so through Submit a Story.
- Submit your StoryDo you have a Depression or World War II object? Submit your story now.
- Latest CommentDog war, world war 2, cat island, all these things are based on imagination and people just enjoys to read it. Anyways the concept is great. (20 hours ago)
- TwitterThe awesome professor we worked with today. @ Tisch School of the Arts - Tom Drysdale. Can't wait for this story! http://t.co/o7MjiSiM (2 months ago)
- FacebookOn my way to Italy in the morning for some business. I will have a day of rest in Milan. Will someone recommend the must see sights in Milan? -- Tukufu Zuberi (1 day ago)