Elmer Ogawa papers - Archives West

Elmer Ogawa papers, 1928-1971

Overview of the Collection

Creator

Ogawa, Elmer, 1906-1970

Title

Elmer Ogawa papers

Dates

1928-1971 (inclusive)
1942-1966 (bulk)

Quantity

4.33 cubic feet (10 boxes)

Collection Number

1383 (Accession No. 1383-001)

Summary

Papers of a Japanese-American photographer and civic leader from Seattle, Washington.

Repository

University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu

Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access.

Request at UW

Languages

English

Sponsor

Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Photographer and civic leader Elmer Ogawa (1906-1970) was born in Seattle, Washington to Japanese and German-Irish parents. Ogawa attended Queen Anne High School and the University of Washington before enlisting in the United States Army in 1942. After his military service, Ogawa worked as a freelance photographer and journalist. He primarily worked as a photographer in Seattle's International District but also worked as the Northwest columnist-photographer for the Pacific Citizen, a nationally circulating publication of the Japanese American Citizens League.

In addition to his professional life, Elmer Ogawa was an active community member. He was a member of the Seattle chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League from 1945 to 1970 and the Nisei Veterans Committee from 1949 to 1969. Ogawa served as a board member and photographer for the Jackson Street Community Council from 1952 to 1966. The Jackson Street Community Council was Seattle's first neighborhood advocacy group, founded in 1946 by a coalition of African American and Asian American community members.

Sources:

“Jackson Street Community Council (1946-1967) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed.” Accessed October 16, 2017. http://www.blackpast.org/aaw/jackson-street-community-council-1946-1967.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Materials contain correspondence, financial records, writings, notes, ephemera, biographical material, and other papers relating to Elmer Ogawa's career as a freelance photographer and civic leader in Seattle's International District. Materials document his involvement in the Japanese American Citizens League, the Nisei Veterans Committee, and the Jackson Street Community Council. Correspondents include Tom Arai, Pal Cooper, Goldena Ogawa and Kazuo "Joe" Tsujimota. Also included are materials relating to Veterans of Foreign Wars Merrick Mariners Post 1310 (Merrick, New York) and American Legion, Cathay Post 186 (Seattle, Washington).

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The creator's literary rights have been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Preferred Citation

Elmer Ogawa papers. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Seattle, Washington.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged in 6 series:

Personal and professional papers
Jackson Street Community Council, Board of Trustees records
Japanese American Citizens League, Seattle records
Nisei Veterans Committee, Seattle records
American Legion, Cathay Post No. 186 records
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Merrick Mariners Post No. 1310 records

Acquisition Information

Gift of Herbert Ogawa, July 9, 1970.

Processing Note

Processing completed in 1986.

Twelve boxes of Ogawa's photographs, including images of the International District in Seattle, Washington, were relocated to the Elmer Ogawa Photograph Collection, PH Coll 178, in Special Collections in October 1986.

Separated Materials

Material Described Separately:

The visual materials and film that form part of this collection are described and indexed in the Guide to the Elmer Ogawa Photograph Collection and the Guide to the Elmer Ogawa Home Movie Films, available in Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Personal and professional papersReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Incoming letters
Box/Folder
1/1	Arai, Tom	1931-1947
1/2	A	1965
1/3-4	B	1948-1963
1/5-8	Cooper, Pal	1947-1953, undated
1/9-11	C	1946-1966
1/12	D-F	1938-1965
1/13	G	1942-1968
1/14	H	1929-1970
1/15	I	1948-1967
1/16-18	Japanese American Citizens' League: business correspondence with Ogawa in his role as a professional photographer	1942-1965, undated
1/19	J-N	1931-1962
1/20-22	Ogawa, Goldena	1957-1967
1/23	O	1929-1966
1/24	P-R	1946-1957
1/25-2/1	S	1929-1966
2/2-3	Tsujimoto, Joe	1961-1966, undated
2/4	T	1952-1960
2/5	U	1942-1964
2/6	W	1947-1966, undated
2/7	Unidentified	1928-1966
2/8	Anti-Japanese hate mail	undated
Box/Folder
2/9-10	Outgoing letters	1946-1970, undated
2/11	General correspondence	1946-1966
2/12	Correspondence regarding Elmer Ogawa	1942-1960
2/13	Correspondence collected by Elmer Ogawa	1948-1966, undated
2/14-16	Christmas cards	1948-1967
2/17-20	Financial records	1938-1964, undated
2/21	Reports	1945-1962, undated
2/22	Legal documents	1940-1941
2/23-3/2	Writings by Elmer Ogawa	1949-1964, undated
3/3	Military orders	1928-1933
3/4	Military service records	1944-1947, undated
3/5	Application for federal employment	1946-1947, undated
3/6-9	Notes	undated
3/10	Photography notes	undated
3/11	News releases	1960-1968, undated
3/12-13	Newsletters	1949-1965
	Periodicals
Box/Folder
3/14-5/5	Scene Magazine	1950-1955
5/6-6/1	Scene Magazine - annual issues	1950-1952
6/2-3	Nisei Vue	1948-1949
6/4	Score Magazine	1960-1961
Box/Folder
6/5	Lists	1947-1950, undated
6/6	Family snapshots	1948-1964
6/7-9	Clippings	1928-1965, undated
6/10-7/4	Ephemera	1923-1968, undated
	Subject series
Box/Folder
7/5	442nd Regimental Combat Team reunion	1953
7/6	Seattle Urban League	1961-1965
7/7	Washington State Third International Trade Fair	1953-1954

Jackson Street Community Council, Board of TrusteesReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
7/8-9	Organizational features	1956-1962
7/10	Incoming letters	1953-1962
7/11	Agenda	1953, undated
7/12-14	Minutes	1952-1961
7/15-16	Financial records	1953-1961
7/17	Annual reports	1946-1964
	Reports
Box/Folder
8/1	Case studies on the process of integration in neighborhoods of Seattle, Washington	1960
8/2	Survey of attitudes and opinions	1955
8/3	Miscellaneous	1951-1957
Box/Folder
8/4	Writings	undated
8/5	Memoranda	1953-1964
8/6	Newsletters	1952-1966
8/7	Handbook for Jackson Street Community Council publicity	1953, undated
8/8	Lists	1952-1961
8/9	Clippings	1951-1964, undated
8/10	Ephemera	1951-1961, undated
8/11	Subject file: Proposed freeway route	1958, undated

Japanese American Citizens League, Seattle Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Organizational records
Box/Folder
8/12	Organizational features	1946-1966, undated
8/13	Incoming letters	1952-1971
8/14	Outgoing letters	1961-1966
8/15	General correspondence	1961-1969, undated
8/16	Agenda	1965, undated
8/17-19	Minutes	1961-1971
8/20	Financial records	1954-1966, undated
8/21	Survey Jackson Street Community Council occupation survey of the Japanese communities in the greater Pacific Northwest district and the greater Seattle area.	1964-1965
8/22	Memoranda	1956-1970, undated
8/23	Speeches and writings	1945-1966, undated
8/24	Conferences and conventions	1960-1965
8/25-9/1	Newsletters	1955-1966, undated
9/2	Questionnaires	1956
9/3	Notes	undated
9/4	Lists	1949-1964, undated
9/5	Flyers	1963-1968, undated
9/6-7	Clippings	1938-1965, undated
9/8	Ephemera	1949-1968, undated
	Subject files
Box/Folder
9/9-10	Human Rights Commission	1963-1966
9/11	Japanese language program	1950-1965, undated
9/12-13	Senate Joint Resolutions	1958-1966
9/14-15	Seafair floats and queens	1951-1965
	Abolishing Restrictions on Land Ownership Committee
Box/Folder
9/16	Incoming letter	1962
9/16	Minutes	1962
	Alien Land Law Committee
Box/Folder
9/17	Minutes	1959, 1964
9/17	Financial records	1960
9/17	Outline	1959
9/17	Lists	1965
	Human Relations Committee
Box/Folder
9/18	Organizational features	undated
9/18	Outline	undated
9/18	Questionnaire	undated
9/18	Notes	1966
	17th Biennial National Convention (Seattle), 1962
Box/Folder
9/19	Organizational features	1961-1962
9/20	Incoming letters	1962
9/21	Outgoing letters	1961-1962
9/22-23	Minutes	1961-1962
9/24	Schedules	1962
9/25	Memoranda	1961, undated
9/26	Program	1962
9/27	News releases	1961, undated
	Pacific Northwest District Council
Box/Folder
10/1	Correspondence	1961, 1963
10/1	Financial records	1961, 1965
10/1	Memoranda	1963
10/1	Notice	1963
10/2	Agenda	1965
10/3-4	Minutes	1961-1965

Nisei Veterans Committee, SeattleReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
10/5	Organization	undated
10/6	Incoming letters	1949, 1952
10/7	Outgoing letters	1950-1964, undated
10/8	Financial records	1955, undated
10/9	Speeches and writings	undated
10/10	Memoranda	1962
10/11-16	Newsletters	1952-1969
10/17	Lists	1958, undated
10/18	Reunion schedule	1964
10/19	Veteran's reunion	1964
10/20	Scrapbook	1953-1956
10/21	Clippings	1945-1957, undated

American Legion, Cathay Post No. 186Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
10/22	Newsletters	1961-1962
10/22	News releases	undated
10/22	Notices	1954, undated
10/22	Clippings	1964

Veterans of Foreign Wars, Merrick Mariners Post No. 1310Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
10/23	Correspondence	1946-1948
10/23	Notices	undated
10/23	Lists	undated
10/23	Clippings	1946, undated
10/24	Ephemera	1944-1947

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