A few renovated horse stables

Hibi, Hisako [ bio ]

Description

Unframed, stretched canvas.

Image of woman carrying two buckets followed by a small child on dirt path between barracks at Tanforan Assembly Center, San Bruno, California. Dressed in red top and dark pants, the woman walks with back to viewer as a small child in red follows in foreground. Two barracks flank path that extends into distance, top left. Two people walk on veranda of building on right. Three people walk on path at midground toward laundry hanging on clothesline. Buildings in background.

Inscription
Written in red, BRC: Hisako Hibi / 8/42. Written on back: Tanforan Race Track Tanforan Assembly Center

History
In the foreground of this painting is a woman carrying two buckets with a toddler following close behind. They are walking between two barracks along the dirt pathway. In the distance are three children and what appears to be laundry drying on a clothesline. It is unclear what these buckets may have been used for, perhaps to carry water back to the barracks from the latrine and shower building. It is known that in most of the assembly centers and concentration camps water, in particular hot water was a precious commodity. There were often long lines to use the shower and laundry facilities, so that it is possible that this woman was taking a private supply to her barrack.

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Hirasaki National Resource Center at the Japanese American National Museum (hnrc@janm.org).