Famed photographer Dorothea Lange's images of Japanese internment during WWII was censored by the US government that also hired her to document it in the first place

Isaiah ReynoldsMay 10, 2023, 18:23 IST

Dorothea Lange / National Archives Catalog

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US instated relocation camps for all Americans of Japanese descent.
Photographer Dorothea Lange was hired by the government to document the camps, but her archives were later impounded.

In February 1942, three months after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed an executive order authorizing "the forced removal of all persons deemed a threat to national security," allowing Japanese Americans, citizens or not, to be moved to "relocation centers."

A bulletin instructing those affected by the establishment of Executive Order 9066 is hung up with tape.National Archives Catalog

In February 1942, three months after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed an executive order authorizing "the forced removal of all persons deemed a threat to national security," allowing Japanese Americans, citizens or not, to be moved to "relocation centers."

The WRA hired photographers, notably Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange, to document the camps for the public.

Japanese Americans form a line in San Francisco to appear for "processing" on April 25, 1942.Dorothea Lange / National Archive Catalog

Lange's photographs, however, were withheld from the public for the duration of the war and not widely circulated like Adams' were. While in the camps, Lange was not allowed to "photograph the wire fences, the watchtowers with searchlights, the armed guards or any sign of resistance."

Baggage of evacuees of Japanese ancestry piled on the sidewalk in Oakland on May 6, 1942.Dorothea Lange / United States National Archives

Lange's photographs, however, were withheld from the public for the duration of the war and not widely circulated like Adams' were. While in the camps, Lange was not allowed to "photograph the wire fences, the watchtowers with searchlights, the armed guards or any sign of resistance."

Contrasting Adams' imagery, Lange captured the stark reality of life in the internment camps — long lines for meals, inadequate resources for children's education, and questionable living standards in renovated horse stables.

Evacuees in San Bruno carry their own dishes and cutlery in bags to protect them from the dust while waiting in line for supper on June 16, 1942.Dorothea Lange / United States National Archive

Contrasting Adams' imagery, Lange captured the stark reality of life in the internment camps — long lines for meals, inadequate resources for children's education, and questionable living standards in renovated horse stables.

Lange's images have been lauded for capturing the uncertainty and anxiety of the subjects in the lead-up to evacuation.

An elementary school at the Manzanar Relocation Center is staffed with evacuee volunteer teachers, most of whom are college graduates.Dorothea Lange / United States National Archives

Hundreds of harrowing images show Japanese Americans removing their belongings from their homes, closing their family businesses, and preparing for a future of complete uncertainty.

Evacuees of Japanese ancestry board a train in Woodland, California, on May 20, 1942.Dorothea Lange / United States National Archives

Hundreds of harrowing images show Japanese Americans removing their belongings from their homes, closing their family businesses, and preparing for a future of complete uncertainty.

During this time, nearly two-thirds of Japanese Americans forced into internment were American citizens.

A Japanese store owner displayed this sign on his storefront on December 8th, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor.Dorothea Lange / National Archives Catalog

Ultimately, Lange's images were impounded by the WRA for the duration of the war and were not widely accessible until the early 1970s, nearly 30 years after they were taken.

The interior of a barracks home at the Jerome Relocation Center in Denson, Arkansas, on November 17, 1942.Dorothea Lange / United States National Archives

Ultimately, Lange's images were impounded by the WRA for the duration of the war and were not widely accessible until the early 1970s, nearly 30 years after they were taken.

The internment lasted another three years. In 1943, the government had even established a military combat unit for WWII comprised of Japanese internees in relocation camps.

Japanese Americans waiting at evacuation meeting placeDorothea Lange / United States National Archives

The internment lasted another three years. In 1943, the government had even established a military combat unit for WWII comprised of Japanese internees in relocation camps.

After the war ended in 1945 and internment camps shuttered, many Japanese Americans were left scrambling. They had no homes to return to and were unfamiliar with the terrain surrounding the relocation camps.

A man in a barrack apartment in San Bruno, California, sits on the edge of his bed as his daughter is seen behind him knitting on June 16, 1942.Dorothea Lange / United States National Archives

After the war ended in 1945 and internment camps shuttered, many Japanese Americans were left scrambling. They had no homes to return to and were unfamiliar with the terrain surrounding the relocation camps.

The unearthed photographs from Lange's account were used for the movement demanding justice for Japanese Americans through the 1970s and 80s.

A little boy of Japanese ancestry gets a haircut at the Manzanar Relocation Center in Manzanar, California, on July 2, 1942.Dorothea Lange / United States National Archives

In 2006, a book collection of Lange's wide portfolio of Japanese American internment was published under the title, "Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment."

A grandfather and grandson of Japanese ancestry at the Manzanar Relocation Center in Manzanar, California.Dorothea Lange / United States National Archives

In 2006, a book collection of Lange's wide portfolio of Japanese American internment was published under the title, "Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment."

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Famed photographer Dorothea Lange's images of Japanese internment during WWII was censored by the US government that also hired her to document it in the first place

The WRA hired photographers, notably Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange, to document the camps for the public.

Lange's photographs, however, were withheld from the public for the duration of the war and not widely circulated like Adams' were. While in the camps, Lange was not allowed to "photograph the wire fences, the watchtowers with searchlights, the armed guards or any sign of resistance."

Contrasting Adams' imagery, Lange captured the stark reality of life in the internment camps — long lines for meals, inadequate resources for children's education, and questionable living standards in renovated horse stables.

Lange's images have been lauded for capturing the uncertainty and anxiety of the subjects in the lead-up to evacuation.

Hundreds of harrowing images show Japanese Americans removing their belongings from their homes, closing their family businesses, and preparing for a future of complete uncertainty.

During this time, nearly two-thirds of Japanese Americans forced into internment were American citizens.

Ultimately, Lange's images were impounded by the WRA for the duration of the war and were not widely accessible until the early 1970s, nearly 30 years after they were taken.

The internment lasted another three years. In 1943, the government had even established a military combat unit for WWII comprised of Japanese internees in relocation camps.

After the war ended in 1945 and internment camps shuttered, many Japanese Americans were left scrambling. They had no homes to return to and were unfamiliar with the terrain surrounding the relocation camps.

The unearthed photographs from Lange's account were used for the movement demanding justice for Japanese Americans through the 1970s and 80s.

In 2006, a book collection of Lange's wide portfolio of Japanese American internment was published under the title, "Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment."