Japanese Americans digging for shells

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PARTNER

Densho
Visit partner

OBJECT ID

ddr-densho-2-47 (Legacy UID: denshopd-p2-00047)

PARENT COLLECTION

Bain Collection

DESCRIPTION

These individuals are digging for shells to make jewelry, which was a popular pastime for many Japanese Americans in camp. Left to right: Kumataro Nishimura, Kadju Nishimura, Jimmie Yorita, Neal Frost (son of one of the teachers at Tule Lake), and Patsy Yorita. Tule Lake was drained in the early 1900s. The camp was located on the old lake bed, where people found shells for making jewelry to sell to camp personnel. Shells were scarce, and digging became competitive. To beat the rush, some people got up at sunrise and dug waist-deep holes in order to find the shells. Some had homemade wire sieves for sifting the sand.

DATE

c. 1943

LOCATION

Tule Lake concentration camp, California

OBJECT GENRE

Photographs

OBJECT FORMAT

Still Image

TOPICS

FACILITY

CREATORS

PERSONS/ORGANIZATIONS

CONTRIBUTOR

Densho

PREFERRED CITATION

Courtesy of the Bain Family Collection

RIGHTS

Copyright restricted
Copyright restricted

2 Files

ddr-densho-2-47-mezzanine-28f4a98ede - Front
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ddr-densho-2-47-master-28f4a98ede - Front
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