University of Washington Libraries, Special CollectionsPH0522LaViolette, Forrest E.Forrest E. LaViolette
Slides and PhotographsApril-October 1, 194353 slides (1 folder) : color ; 35 mm.Collection materials are in
English.Color slides
primarily depicting the Japanese American internment experience during World
War II taken by a UW faculty member in the sociology department Forrest Emmanuel LaViolette (1904-1989) received a graduate degree in
sociology from the University of Chicago in 1936. He was a faculty member in
the sociology department at the University of Washington from 1936 to 1940,
where he conducted research on Japanese Americans. During World War II, he
joined the staff at Heart Mountain Relocation Center, a Japanese American
internment camp in Wyoming. After the war he published a book, entitled
The Cambodian Japanese in World War II . After
leaving the University of Washington, Dr. LaViolette was a professor at McGill
University and later served as chairman of sociology at Tulane University.
After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941, residents along the Pacific Coast of the United States feared
additional bombing of their cities, homes, and businesses. The public demanded
that residents of Japanese ancestry be evacuated from their homes and relocated
to inland locations. This outcry resulted in Executive Order 9066, which was
signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. Executive Order
9066 led to the evacuation, relocation, and internment of 120,000 American
citizens and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry. Roosevelt
established the War Relocation Authority in March, 1942, to oversee the
construction of relocation centers on federally owned land in remote locations
in six western states and Arkansas. The Heart Mountain Relocation Center was
located in Wyoming and at its peak accommodated more than 10,000 Japanese
Americans. At the time it was the third largest community in Wyoming.
The collection consists chiefly of color slides documenting the
Japanese American internment experience during World War II. Specifically, the
collection shows grounds, buildings, schools, residents, and activities of the
Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. All of the images were taken by
Dr. Forrest E. LaViolette when he was a member of the center staff from
April-October 1, 1943. There are five additional photographs taken in British
Columbia, Canada.
The organization and identification of the photographs come from a
typescript by LaViolette.
View the digital version of
the collection
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections
website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view originals.
Contact Special Collections for more information.
Request at UW
Restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Contact
Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Donor: Forrest E. LaViolette, April 1987.
Processed by Rebekah Dalby, 2002. Revised by
Maureen Hogan, 2020.
Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)LaViolette, Forrest EHeart Mountain Relocation Center (Wyo.)--PhotographsConcentration camps--Wyoming--PhotographsJapanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945--PhotographsWorld War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Wyoming--PhotographsWorld War, 1939-1945--Japanese Americans--PhotographsConcentration camp inmates--Wyoming--PhotographsJapanese Americans--Wyoming--PhotographsBritish Columbia--PhotographsSlides (Photography)PhotographsJapanese AmericansCivil RightsBritish Columbia
Heart Mountain Relocation Center,
WyomingApril 1 to October 1, 194311Heart Mountain
railroad stationApril 1 to October 1,
1943 12Looking
westApril 1 to October 1,
1943 13Sunrise from the Heart Mountain
railroad stationApril 1 to October 1,
1943 14Looking west,
Cody, WyomingApril 1 to October 1,
1943 15Rear view of the
centerApril 1 to October 1,
1943 16Heart
MountainApril 1 to October 1,
1943 17Center from Main
StreetApril 1 to October 1,
1943 18Power
centerApril 1 to October 1,
1943 19Guard tower to
housing and administration areaApril 1 to October 1,
1943 110Fire
stationApril 1 to October 1,
1943 111Police
department observation towerApril 1 to October 1,
1943 112Gardening
areaApril 1 to October 1,
1943 113View across hot
beds to administration areaApril 1 to October 1,
1943 114Mess hall crew's
gardenApril 1 to October 1,
1943 115Excavating for
pipelineApril 1 to October 1,
1943 116Pipeline for
water to the centerApril 1 to October 1,
1943 117ResidencesApril 1 to October 1,
1943 118Cemetery for
deceased residentsApril 1 to October 1,
1943 119Schoolchildren
on playgroundApril 1 to October 1,
1943 120Swimming
holeApril 1 to October 1,
1943 121High
schoolApril 1 to October 1,
1943 122High school with
Heart Mountain in backgroundApril 1 to October 1,
1943 123High school art
teacherApril 1 to October 1,
1943 124Grade school
registrationApril 1 to October 1,
1943 125Resident
barracksApril 1 to October 1,
1943 126Mess hall
entrance décorApril 1 to October 1,
1943 127WRA staff
barracks with probably journalist Bill Hosokawa standing in frontApril 1 to October 1,
1943 128Children's camp
areaApril 1 to October 1,
1943 129USO for soldiers
visiting resident familyApril 1 to October 1,
1943 130Mess hall staff
gardenApril 1 to October 1,
1943 131-33Residents
leaving for JapanApril 1 to October 1,
1943 134Crew bringing
portable buildings from Yellowstone ParkApril 1 to October 1,
1943 135High school
registrationApril 1 to October 1,
1943 136Music stage for
Japanese dance performanceApril 1 to October 1,
1943 137First baby born
in the center with parentsApril 1 to October 1,
1943 138Artist "Bob" and
familyApril 1 to October 1,
1943 139General
gatheringApril 1 to October 1,
1943 140Loading truck
for trip to railroad stationApril 1 to October 1,
1943 141Truckloads of
personal luggage headed for railroad stationApril 1 to October 1,
1943 142Passengers
boarding trainApril 1 to October 1,
1943 143Buddhist priest
with his father and his sonApril 1 to October 1,
1943 144Reception
committee waiting to greet new arrivalsApril 1 to October 1,
1943 145Two "most
distinguished relocatees" of the WRA staffApril 1 to October 1,
1943 146Sawmill on way
to Yellowstone ParkApril 1 to October 1,
1943 147ChildrenApril 1 to October 1,
1943 148A view from Main
StreetApril 1 to October 1,
1943 British Columbia, CanadaApril 1 to October 1, 1943 149Harris farm, New
Denver, B.C.April 1 to October 1,
1943 150Logging at
Kaslo, B.C.April 1 to October 1,
1943 151Bay farm,
B.C.April 1 to October 1,
1943 152-53Fisherman's
home, Stevenson, B.C.April 1 to October 1,
1943