Guide to the Japanese sailor photographs
1942-1945
Collection number: HMC-0832.
Creator: unknown.
Title: Japanese sailor photographs.
Dates: 1942-1945.
Volume of collection: 0.01 cubic feet.
Language of materials: The collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Photographs that were possessed by a Japanese sailor who was stationed on the Aleutian Islands during World War II.
Biographical note:
The Japanese sailor who possessed these photographs and the cigarette packet served in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska during World War II. A U. S. Army soldier confiscated the items from the Japanese sailor when he was a prisoner of war on the island of Okinawa, Japan, in 1945.
Collection description:
The collection consists of the World War II era photographs of an anonymous Japanese sailor who served in the Aleutians and a cigarette packet he possessed. The collection consists of 19 black and white prints and a Japanese cigarette packet. Eleven of the prints are snapshots of Japanese soldiers on an Aleutian Island (Attu or Kiska) during winter. The photographs show the soldiers living in tents, wearing skis, and digging a trench, including one image of two fighter planes on a beach. Four of the prints are smaller personal snapshots. Their subjects include: a portrait of a sailor in uniform and a group portrait of the same sailor with three other men, probably family members, two of which are in uniform; a group of five sailors in front of a temple; a temple building; and a large group of sailors in white uniforms on a rocky island. Four of the prints may be of people at an Aleut village. One of these photographs depicts what appears to be an American soldier posed with several children. The cigarette packet is green with an eagle on the front, and contains ten cigarettes in their original wrapping.
Arrangement: Photographs are arranged by size.
Digitized copies: Selected photographs from this collection have been digitized and can be viewed on Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: The Archives and Special Collections does not own copyright to these photographs.
Preferred citation: Japanese sailor World War II photograph album, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Related materials: For more materials related to World War II, please see the World War II in Alaska topic guide.
Acquisition note: Archives and Special Collections purchased these photographs from an online auction in 2005.
Processing information: This collection was described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2005. The guide was converted to current standards by Amanda Coffey in 2016.