Matsushita family photograph collection, 1919-1978

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Matsushita family
Title
Matsushita family photograph collection
Dates
1919-1978 (inclusive)
Quantity
5378 photographic prints, including 22 albums (15 boxes)
329 slides (1 box)
Glass negatives (3 boxes)
Collection Number
PH0162
Summary
Photographs of Japanese-Americans, including photographs of Matsushita family and friends, and of Camp Minidoka during World War II
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

Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Request at UW

Additional Reference Guides

These materials form part of the Iwao Matsushita Papers, which are described and indexed in the guide to the Iwao Matsushito Papers , available in the repository.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Iwao Matsushita immigrated to the United States from Japan in 1919. From his arrival until World War II he was employed as an office manager for Mitsui & Company, an export firm. In 1927 he introduced the first Japanese language course at the University of Washington. During World War II he was interned in Japanese relocation camps in Montana and Idaho, first at Fort Missoula, Montana and later at Camp Minidoka, Idaho. He resumed teaching at the University following the war (1946-1951) and also taught at the Japanese Language School and Edison Vocational School. In 1952 became a Japanese language specialist at the University of Washington Far Eastern Library. Matsushita is also the author of Japanese language essays and books on religion and other subjects.

Matsushita married twice. His first wife, Hanaye, was interned separately during the first part of the war. Matsushita was able to get transferred to Minidoka in order to be with her. After Hanaye died in 1965, Iwao married his second wife, Gin, in about 1966 or 1967. Gin was formerly married to Asakichi Frank Kunishige, a noted Seattle photographer. Iwao died in 1997.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Photographs of Japanese-Americans, including photographs of Matsushita family and friends, and of Camp Minidoka during World War II.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

The photographs were relocated from the Iwao Matsushito Papers, Accession No. 2718 in the repository in 1979 and 1985.

Separated Materials

15 8mm film reels received with the collection were separated from the photographs and form the Iwao Matsushita Home Movie Collection, PH Coll 1043, in the repository.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
1
Mountaineering and skiing activities by Matsushita family and friends at Chinook Pass, White River, Snoqualmie Pass, Eagle Peak (some photos by Koike), Mount Washington, Dewey Lake, Mount St. Helens, Mt. Rainier National Park, Mount Adams, Katchess Lake, Lake Chelan, Yakima, Dry Falls, vicinity Vantage. Also some scenes from Montana and Idaho
532 photographs
1938-1940
Container(s) Description Dates
Box
1
Scenic views, mountaineering and skiing scenes in the North and South Cascades, Yakima Park. Mt. Adams. Some photos by Koike
502 photographs
1934-1935
Container(s) Description Dates
Box
2
Scenic views, mountaineering and skiing scenes in the North and South Cascades. Also includes Redmond, Washington., Grand Canyon, Colorado, Yellowstone? Photos by Matsuki, Icihara, Koike, Nakaya.
744 photographs
1930-1931
Container(s) Description Dates
Box
2
Mountaineering and skiing activities in the Cascades including Canyon Creek Lodge. Some photos by Koike
382 photographs
1936-1938
Container(s) Description Dates
Box
3
Mountaineering and skiing activities in the Cascades
39 photographs
1941
Container(s) Description Dates
Box
4
ALBUM 6 (69 photographs). Mountaineering and skiing activities in the Cascades including activities by Japanese- Americans group in Mt. Rainier National Park.
1920s
Container(s) Description Dates
Box
4
Views of Missoula, Montana and the Japanese relocation camp
72 photographs
1943
Container(s) Description Dates
Box
5
Family photos. Seward Park, the Arboretum, Volunteer Park, Rainier National Park, Chinook Pass
155 photographs
1963
Container(s) Description Dates
Box
6
Family photos? Older generation? San Francisco Fire?
72 photographs
circa 1920s-1930s

Album 10Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
7
Snapshots of family and friends, Also pictures of Camp Minidoka, Idaho (includes identification card of M. Asakichi Kunishige issued at Twin Falls, Id, 1944)
119 photographs
1930s- 1950s

Album 11Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
7
Family pictures including I. Matsushita, I. Yoshikawa, mountaineering with Japanese American group, art photos by Matsushita
63 photographs
1919-1950s

Albums 12Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
8
Postcards of tourist sites in Japan
78 photographs
1960

Albums 13Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
8
Family pictures?
24 photographs
1940s-1950s

Albums 14Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
8
Family pictures? including residence on 29th Ave. S
127 photographs
1924-1925

Albums 15Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
8
Some of photographs by Koike. Scenic shots of the Cascades including skiing and hiking
258 photographs
1933- 1934

Albums 16Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
9
Family? . Scenic shots of Seattle parks
116 photographs
1920s-1930s

Albums 17Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
9
Mountaineering scenes and scenic shots of Cascades. )
220 photographs
1930

Albums 18Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
9
Family and friends. Mountaineering in Cascades. Also Woodland Park
109 photographs
1929

Albums 19Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
9
Matsushita family cats.
1920

Albums 20Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
9
Matsushita family cats.
81 photographs
1920

Album 21Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
10
Family pictures. Point Defiance Park, Woodland Park, Volunteer Park, Greenlake. 1927. Also Iwao Matsushita photo awards - 1925-1926
98 photographs
1925-1927

Album 22Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
14
Scrapbook of Kunishige prints from the Town Crier, 1924. Also newspaper clippings on Kunishiga's work. (Includes collection of reproductions of unidentified "art photographs". Some possibly by I. Matsushita?)
1924

Loose PhotographsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
10
Loose photographs from album 9, 10, 11 and 12
1919-1950s
11
7 Oversize photographs: - Wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Yoshiro Hayaska. 1952. - Funeral. n.d. - Unidentified wedding - 2 unidentified man. - 3 photographs of Mt. Rainier (1 dup). -Narcissus.
1952; undated
12/1
13 photographs. Includes portraits of Sekio and Ai Matsushita, Koike graduation 1944 (?), and others
1921-1949
12/2
19 photographs. Includes photos by H. C. Ichibashi, portrait of Naomi Kimura
1955-1959
12/3
19 photographs. Includes photos of Sekio Matsushita, Akira Kimura, Mr. and Mrs. Matsushita,
1955-1959
12/4
14 photographs. Includes photographs by Tadashi Inoue and Akira Kimura
1960-1963
12/5
13 photographs. Photographs by Tonomi Isono
1965-1969
12/6
14 photographs. Photographs by Tonomi Isono, A. Kimura, Includes pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Matsushita
1970-1973
12/7
24 photographs. Photographs by A. Kimura and Tonomi Isono.
1974-1978
12/8
Various unidentified people
undated
12/9
24 photographs. Ishibashi weddings (?), portraits of Iwao Matsushita
undated
12/10
10 photographs. Unidentified portraits, trip by Mr. Matsushita
undated
12/11
22 photographs. Portrait of Houme Ikeda. Various images of Mr. Matsushita and friends/family
undated
12/12
14 photographs. Mr. and Matsushita and wife, Mr. Matsushita standing next to card catalog, UW (?)
undated
12/13
12 photographs. Mrs. (Gin) Matsushita and family/friends.
1945-1950; undated
12/14
6 photographs. Mrs. (Gin) Matsushita
1965-1971; undated
12/15
12 photographs and photographic postcards. Camp Minidoka, Idaho. Tula Lake Poetry Club
circa 1943
12/16
2 photographs. Mr. Matsushita taken at Fort Missoula, Montana. Matsushita's ID card from Ft. Missoula. Interior of office, Fort Missoula
1943
12/17
3 photographs (duplicates). Seattle Japanese Language School, group portrait
undated
12/18
9 photographs. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Matsushita.
undated
12/19
124 photographs. Mr. and Mrs. Matsushita, family and friends. Various dates
12/20
64 photographs. Mr. and Mrs. Matsushita, family and friends. Various dates
13/1
22 photographs. Portrait of Koike, Joseph M. Kitagawa. Others are unidentified
undated
13/2
13 photographs. Portraits and groups portraits. All unidentified
undated
13/3
13 photographs. Studio portraits. Thomas Kubota, Samuel Ishibashi, Joe and Shigiko Yoshiwara. Some others unidentified
undated
13/4
8 photographs. Weddings
undated
13/5
13 photographs. Various Seattle groups
undated
13/6
66 photographs. Images depicting travel to various countries and localities within the United States
undated
13/7
8 photographs. Images depicting travel
1966
13/8
131 photographs. Outings and scenic pictures. Includes University of Washington campus
undated
14/1
160 photographs. Images of the Cascades, scenic and some mountaineering
undated
14/2
3 photographs. Pertaining to the University of Washington East Asia Library
undated
14/3
231 photographs. Flowers, vegation, pets, etc.
undated
14/4
69 photographs. Miscellaneous
14/5
Miscellaneous
4 photographs
14/6
Internment camps at Ft. Missoula and Minidoka, Idaho
11 photographs
1943
Box
15
Art prints by Matsushita and Kunishige
114 photographs (15 folders)
Container(s) Description
Box
16
Pictures of the Matsushita family's travels in Asia, Europe, the South Pacific , Alaska, British Columbia, Yellowstone, Hawaii, Northwest; The University of Washington; Seattle Parks; Lake Washington; Seattle street scenes; family portraits; trees and flowers; and Expo '70

NegativesReturn to Top

Container(s): Box 17-19

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographic prints