Internment-era Art Auction Riles Nikkei Americans

[Samurai_Jerk]

Auction of Internment Camp Art Sparks Widespread Outrage

An auction of artifacts crafted by Japanese Americans imprisoned in WWII internment camps has provoked widespread outrage, the New York Times' Arts Beat reports.

The New Jersey auction house Rago plans to auction not only objects made at the camps—such as ornate family nameplates carved in wood attached to the barracks—but also photographs of internees.

Between 110,00 and 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated in camps during WWII, the majority of them US citizens.

Some 450 pieces are slated to be auctioned on Friday. They come from a collection assembled by Allen Hendershott Eaton, a crafts historian who analyzed it in his 1952 book, “Beauty Behind Barbed Wire: The Arts of the Japanese in Our War Relocation Camps."

The book describes the internees' resourcefulness and attempts to preserve traditions despite their desolate situation, using salvaged materials.

The family of the auction's unnamed consignor acquired the collection from Eaton's descendant. The original intention was for it to be dedicated to a museum.

[...]

Japanese Americans protesting the sale argue that postponing the auction would allow for research into a better solution for the items, which should be kept together.

[...]

The consignor, on the other hand, has described the protests as a “social media attack" from the descendants, meant to “bully us into compliance with their demands."

[Samurai_Jerk]

Wow. Change.org actually works sometimes. Who knew?

After furor, auction house pulls items from Japanese-American WWII camps

A New Jersey auction house has removed items from its April 17 event after an uproar from the public.

The items are crafts and artifacts made by Japanese-Americans confined to World War II internment camps.

A grass-roots campaign of a change.org petition, a Facebook page, and mediation by "Star Trek" actor George Takei has resulted in Rago Arts and Auction Center agreeing to pull the items from the sale.

"There is an essential discussion to be had about the sale of historical items that are a legacy of man's inhumanity to man. It extends beyond what is legal. It is something auction houses, galleries and dealers are faced with regularly," the auction house said. "We hope this controversy will be the beginning of a discourse on this issue."

[kurogane]

Brilliant. Sulu took the con, mission accomplished. If only he could have turned it into one of those time travel alternate history episodes and prevented the internements. OTOH, I suppose even Captain Kirk let Joan Collins die rather than alter history, and she was luscious.

I once tried to start a petition on Change.org to defend the brave dolphin munchers of Taiji from the attack of the Great White Land Whales but the feckers rejected it. I should petition them to return the 3 minutes it took me to sign up for that POS Meddling Class cesspool.