"When America's War Relocation Authority hired Dorothea Lange to photograph the internment of Japanese-Americans in 1942, they put a few restrictions on her work. Barbed wire, watchtowers and armed soldiers were off limits, they declared. And no pictures of resistance, either. They wanted the roundup and sequestering of Japanese-Americans documented — but not too well. Working within these limits, Lange, who is best known for her photographs of migrant farmers during the Depression, nonetheless produced images whose content so opposed the federal objective of demonizing Japanese-Americans that the vast majority of the photographs were suppressed throughout WWII (97% of them have never been published at all). Editors Gordon and Okihiro set this first collection of Lange's internment work within technical, cultural and historical contexts. Gordon (The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction) discusses Lange's professional methods and the formation of her 'democratic-populist' beliefs. Okihiro (Whispered Silences: Japanese Americans and World War II) traces the history of prejudice against Japanese Americans, with emphasis on internees' firsthand accounts. But the bulk of the book is given over to Lange's photographs. Several of these are as powerful as her most stirring work, and the final image — of a grandfather in the desolate Manzanar Center looking down in anguish at the grandson between his knees — is worth the price of the book alone. 104 photos, 2 maps." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

During the first half of 1942, photographer Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) worked tirelessly to document the process of the imprisonment of 110,000 Japanese Americans. Although commissioned by the U.S. War Relocation Authority, Lange's photographs were suppressed and later retired to the National Archives. This volume presents around 100 of these powerful and haunting images--the majority of which have never been published before. It also features essays by editors Gordon (history, New York U.) and Okihiro (Columbia U.).
Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

During the first half of 1942, photographer Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) worked tirelessly to document the process of the imprisonment of 110,000 Japanese Americans. Although commissioned by the U.S. War Relocation Authority, Lange's photographs were suppressed and later retired to the National Archives. This volume presents around 100 of these powerful and haunting images--the majority of which have never been published before. It also features essays by editors Gordon (history, New York U.) and Okihiro (Columbia U.). Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Linda Gordon is the author of several books, including the Bancroft Prize-winning The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction. She is a professor of history at New York University. Gary Y. Okihiro is the author of Whispered Silences: Japanese Americans and World War II and Common Ground: Reimagining American History. He is a professor at Columbia University and lives in New York City.