WAUIshiharaGeorgePHColl129.xml Guide to the George Ishihara Photograph Collection 1907-1918 Ishihara (George) Photograph Collection Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries © 2008 (Last modified: 1/31/2020)
Seattle, WA 98195
Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections PH0129 Ishihara, George George Ishihara photograph collection 1907-1918 8 photographic prints (1 folder) Collection materials are in English. Collection includes Seattle Asahi baseball team, students at the Japanese School in Seattle and Japanese residents celebrating Independence Day in Seattle between 1907-1918

The Seattle Japanese Language School, also known as Kokugo Gakko, was the first Japanese language school in the United States. Opened in 1902, its mission was to teach the Japanese language, etiquette, history and culture to American-born children of Japanese descent (Nisei). After a full day of public school instruction, students generally attended class every weekday afternoon and six days a week in the summer. A highlight of the year was the annual spring picnic held in a local park. The usual strictness and discipline was relaxed, and children participated in races and games.

After years in a temporary facility, in 1913, the school opened a new building at 1414 South Weller Street. The first class in the new building included 98 students. By 1917, attendance had grown to the point where a second building was added. A third building was completed in the 1920s. During the 1930s, a period that saw the peak in the population of school-aged Nisei, approximately 1800 children attended the Japanese Language School on a daily basis. The school closed after 1941 in the wake of World War II and the internment of people of Japanese descent. The school reopened in 1956.

The collection includes photographs of the students and teachers at the Seattle Japanese Language School during various outings between 1911-1915. In addition, there are photographs of the Seattle Asahi baseball team and of the Independence Day festivities in Seattle in 1907.

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 reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Donor: George Ishihara via Dolores Gato, Japanese-American History Project, 1972

Processed by Linda Corets, 2005.

Dubrow, Gail Lee. Sento at Sixth and Main (Seattle: Seattle Arts Commission, 2002).

For Japanese-American baseball information, see also the Frank Fukuda Photograph and Ephemera Collection (PH Coll 128).

 Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington) Japanese Language School (Seattle, Wash.)--Photographs Seattle Asahi (Baseball team)--Photographs Seattle (Wash.)--Social life and customs--20th century Japanese Americans--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs Japanese American children--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs School children--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs Teachers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs Photographs Group portraits Photographic prints Japanese Americans Photographs Seattle Elementary and Secondary Education

 

1 1 Seattle Asahi baseball team 1918? 1 2 Asahi baseball team at clubhouse, 12th Avenue and Yesler Way 1918 1 3 Japanese baseball team with Foreign Minister Goto and Governor Inouye-Tokio 1918? 1 4 Children playing a type of basketball at the Japanese Language School picnic at Woodland Park 1911 1 5 Japanese Language School picnic at Alki Point, West Seattle June 3, 1912 1 6 Japanese Language School children and teachers at Japanese Consulate, 306 Central Building, Seattle 1911 1 7 Japanese Language School Class of 1915 1915 1 8 Independence Day celebration for Japanese residents July 4, 1907

Sign notes that celebration was "given by officers of the SS Shinano Maru and Japanese Residents Seattle USA."