Guide to the Dr. Charles E. Gail Photographs MS.470

M. Carey

University of California, Santa Cruz

2013

1156 High Street

Santa Cruz 95064

speccoll@library.ucsc.edu

URL: http://guides.library.ucsc.edu/speccoll

Language of Material: English

Contributing Institution: University of California, Santa Cruz

Title: Dr. Charles E. Gail photographs

creator: Gail, Dr. Charles E.

Identifier/Call Number: MS.470

Physical Description: 3 Linear feet 4 boxes

Date (inclusive): 1951-1952

Abstract: This collection contains gelatin silver photographs of Okinawa, taken from 1951-1952.

Language of Material: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

Collection open for research.

Publication Rights

Property rights for this collection reside with the University of California. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. The publication or use of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use for research or educational purposes requires written permission from the copyright owner. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information on copyright or to order a reproduction, please visit the UCSC Special Collections and Archives website.

Preferred Citation

Dr. Charles E. Gail photographs. MS 470. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Geraldine Gail, September 2013. Two mounted prints gift of Laura Julia Heins, 2018.

Biography

Charles Eugene Gail, DDS (October 21, 1921-May 3, 2003) was born in Chetopa, Kansas and raised in San Bernardino, California. He was an avid photographer all of his life. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1945 and practiced dentistry for over 50 years in Montrose, California. During the Korean War, he was stationed at an Army Hospital in Okinawa between December 1951 and November 1953. During this period, he took unique pictures of the post-war island and its people. In later years, he focused his photographic works on Sierras and White Mountains in California.

Geraldine Gail 9/4/2013

Scope and Content of Collection

This collection consists of 154 gelatin silver photographs of Okinawa, it's people and daily life, taken from 1951-1952 by Dr. Gail during his tour of duty.

Arrangement

Dr. Gail's captions are shown in quotes in the Container List. The descriptions in brackets are supplied by the archivist.

Processing Information

Processed by:: M. Carey
Date Completed:: April 2014
Encoded by:: M. Carey

Related Materials

Edward A. Podesta Collection (MS 184), Kilsoo Haan Papers (MS 151), John Remak Collection (MS 182), Earle and Akie Reynolds Archive (MS 120)

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Ryukyu Islands

Okinawa-ken (Japan)--History

Japan--History--Allied occupation, 1945-1952

Gail, Charles Eugene--Archives

box 1

[Okinawan homes - thatched buildings, field, trees] ms0470_pho_001 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[ House details - porch, beams, roof, wind chimes, baskets ] ms0470_pho_002 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Typical Okinawan house. The panels are opened so the wind can blow clear through and notice the "Honey" bucket just to the left of the entrance. They are picked up and empty ones left at much too long an interval" ms0470_pho_003 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"I took this just for the dog asleep on the wall. I had walked about 10 miles and was hot and tied and looking at that dog made me wonder if maybe a dog's life wouldn't be so bad after all" ms0470_pho_004 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[sleeping kitten] ms0470_pho_005 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Village, sea, trees, fields] ms0470_pho_006 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 10

box 1

"These little rain squalls were everywhere" ms0470_pho_007 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Okinawan home - thatched rook, wide porch" ms0470_pho_008 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Gateway] ms0470_pho_009 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"All the upturned points and projections on this shrine are intended to confuse evil spirits and keep them from getting down under the roof inside" ms0470_pho_010 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Buddhist shrine way back in the hills" ms0470_pho_011 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Womb shaped tomb" ms0470_pho_012 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Up on the edge of the Womb-shaped tomb is the fancy urn in which the bones are placed, 2,5 or 7 years after internment. The young daughters clean the bones and put them in the urn, then place the urn back on the altar shlef in the back of the tomb. This fairly distasteful job has made modern cremation more popular here. On the lower part of the urn, the figure rising from the lotus blossom is a Buddhist symbol, this womb-tomb also originating in China" ms0470_pho_013 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"These womb shaped tombs originated in China, however they have been in vogue here for centuries. Nearly every hillside on the island has many of these. The people save all their lives and go without in order to buy one of these. During hurricanes they will perish rather than seek shelter in the safe interior of these due to the sacred atmosphere. It is interesting that they arrange the corpses in the fetal position before returning them to this womb." ms0470_pho_014 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Burial Urn, buddhist figures for the bones of a man and wife" ms0470_pho_015 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Part of a statue several hundred years old" [fist] ms0470_pho_016 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Lion (?) statues] ms0470_pho_017 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Temple [gateway, entrance]" ms0470_pho_018 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Entrance to Nakagusuku Castle" ms0470_pho_019 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"No mortor was used, each block of stone is cut to fit the adjacent ones perfecly. The wall around the Emperors palace in Japan looks just like this except it is not pressed coral stone as this is" ms0470_pho_020 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"The steps at the Nakagusuku castle are all overgrown with vegetation" ms0470_pho_021 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[4 Fishermen in boat] ms0470_pho_022 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Children swimming, fisherman steering boat between rocks] ms0470_pho_023 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[fisherman in boat] ms0470_pho_024 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Dock, fisherman in boat, 3 other fishermen on dock] ms0470_pho_025 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Even though the logs used for side and bottom of the boat are each one piece where a limb branched from the tree, and they are very crudley hewn, he measures the symmetry and overall lines very accurately with the ruler and string" ms0470_pho_026 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"All hand made" [boat stern] ms0470_pho_027 1950-1952

Physical Description: 7 x 9

box 1

[Profile of bow of boat - details] ms0470_pho_028 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Straight-on view of bow] ms0470_pho_029 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Straight-on view of stern - detail] ms0470_pho_030 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[View of island from boat] ms0470_pho_031 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[View of island from boat, clouds] ms0470_pho_032 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[View of island from boat] ms0470_pho_033 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Fisherman's Wharf" ms0470_pho_034 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Old Man and the Sea" ms0470_pho_035 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Fishing boat, 2 sails, island background] ms0470_pho_036 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Fishing boat on water in straits between islands] ms0470_pho_037 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Fisherman in boat steering with pole] ms0470_pho_038 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Fishing boat moored by large rock outcropping] ms0470_pho_039 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 10

box 1

[Fishing boat sailing between two land masses] ms0470_pho_040 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 10

box 1

[Fishing boat, wake, two land masses, clouds] ms0470_pho_041 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Fishing boat, three fishermen, large ship in distance] ms0470_pho_042 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Shipwrecked boat seen from shore] ms0470_pho_043 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"Typhoon casualty" ms0470_pho_044 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Typhoon casualty - deck details] ms0470_pho_045 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Wrecked war ship hulls?] ms0470_pho_046 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Ship stern and propeller] ms0470_pho_047 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Ship stern, propeller] ms0470_pho_048 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Boat on beach] ms0470_pho_049 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Boat stern - detail] ms0470_pho_050 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"See why they're called 'Junks' " [Stern of Junk] ms0470_pho_051 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

"When the tide goes out" [beached boat] ms0470_pho_052 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 1

[Fishing boats on beach] ms0470_pho_053 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Moored boat by seawall] ms0470_pho_054 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Fishermen carrying boat on shoulders] ms0470_pho_055 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"This boat weighs about 500 lbs" ms0470_pho_056 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[View out window to sea, fishing boats] ms0470_pho_057 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Sunset" ms0470_pho_058 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[View of island from water] ms0470_pho_059 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Water, land, sunset, reflections] ms0470_pho_060 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 10

box 2

[tree branches, rock outcroppings, boat, beach] ms0470_pho_061 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Hermit crabs take over a shell. Why grow your own with so many are free?" ms0470_pho_062 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Izote plant" ms0470_pho_063 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Izote plant] ms0470_pho_064 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[beach, cliffs, water, Izote plants] ms0470_pho_065 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Rock outcroppings] ms0470_pho_066 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Trees in silhouette, clouds, hills - distance view] ms0470_pho_067 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Trees in silhouette, clouds, hills] ms0470_pho_068 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Pine tree, Izote plants, clouds] ms0470_pho_069 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"You don't see trees like this in California, however I'd rather see what's there." ms0470_pho_070 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Boat keel & boat bow] ms0470_pho_071 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Bow of beached ship NP_178] ms0470_pho_072 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"At head of the stairs is a cave which has a shrine in it, complete with roof, even though it is protected by the czave. This 'Gateway to Heaven' is part of the Japanese influence, their religion rather than the Okinawan's, however, the Okinawans will worship anything. About half way up the stairs are the dogs with lions heads which scare evil spirits away" ms0470_pho_073 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Japanese Tori (Gateway to Heaven)" ms0470_pho_074 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Old ladies being carried to boats for the big boat race" ms0470_pho_075 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Boat race] ms0470_pho_076 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Bon Odori " Festival 1 ms0470_pho_077 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Bon Odori " Festival 2 ms0470_pho_078 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Bon Odori " Festival 3 ms0470_pho_079 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[motor w/pulley, men talking, truck] ms0470_pho_080 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"This is a church building being constructed. Notice how all the scaffolding is bound together with thongs rather than nailed or bolted" ms0470_pho_081 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Man in straw hat, kimino & fan - women, child in background] ms0470_pho_082 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Smiling elderly gentleman, missing front teeth] ms0470_pho_083 1950-1952

Physical Description: 7 x 9 3/4"

box 2

[Fisherman in hat] ms0470_pho_084 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Two fishermen carrying cargo] ms0470_pho_085 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"A nice cool bath for one of our old cavalry horses" [Fisherman, horse & cart in water] ms0470_pho_086 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Stevedores" ms0470_pho_087 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Fisherman in hat] ms0470_pho_088 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Fishing boats] ms0470_pho_089 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[2 sail boat] ms0470_pho_090 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Fishing boat being steered by poles] ms0470_pho_091 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Fishing boat with fishermen & women] ms0470_pho_092 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Fisherman with catch in basket wading into shore] ms0470_pho_093 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Women meeting fishing boat to inspect fish] ms0470_pho_094 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"The days catch" ms0470_pho_095 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Waiting for her basket of fish to be weighed. Notice gold teeth to show she was worth something. Seersucker dress at right stolen WAC uniform" ms0470_pho_096 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"The fisherman's wife weighing the fish" ms0470_pho_097 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

"Haggling over the price of fish" ms0470_pho_098 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Fisherman, fisherwives] ms0470_pho_099 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Fishermen with nets, standing next to boat in water] ms0470_pho_100 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 2

[Fishermen carying nets, robes, baskets] ms0470_pho_101 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Fish catch] ms0470_pho_102 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Woman carrying basket of fish on head] ms0470_pho_103 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"These are squid drying as we would dry clothes on a line. In a week or month or so they will be stacked like shingles in a market. Children eat them like lolipops" ms0470_pho_104 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Woman carrying large pumpkin on head] ms0470_pho_105 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"In the very middle of town" ms0470_pho_106 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Notice the barber is brushing hair off his arm with a pauint brush" ms0470_pho_107 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Ain't this the cutest little feller on the lower right! Also notice how unconcerned the woman os of the bundle on her head, with a bottle in it too! You won't find any stockings in the picture." ms0470_pho_108 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"This is a seed store. The old gent has made himself a pair of bifocals by taping two pairs of glasses together. Hi is using the far vision through the top pai only now, but back to his newspapers he will look through both. Notice the cans in the back made out of old beer cans. The tin shps make most of their products out of empty beer cans, funnels, pencil boxes, and cartons & boxes of all sizes. You will notice he smokes Camel cigarettes with an ivory holder, and the dragon ash tray is Okinawan pottery. Oh, on the extreme left at the level of his shoulder is a funnel made of old Shlitz cans." ms0470_pho_109 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Woodworker] ms0470_pho_110 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"All sawing is done like this" ms0470_pho_111 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"The Cobbler" ms0470_pho_112 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Notice tattoos on her wrist, an old marrying custom" ms0470_pho_113 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"This old lady has the tattooed hands and was smoking a cigarette with the holder which turns up at the end. They are very common here. Also from her behavior while I was taking the picture. I decided she was also quite familiar with saki. The lady in the background is grinding beans in a mortor and pestal type grinder." ms0470_pho_114 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"This old Mamason was none too happy to be cornered for a picture, but after I took it I bowed and thanked her in Japanese and she gave me a big toothless smile. If you look closely you can see the tattoos on her hands and wrists that are placed on there at marriage. This was outlawed in 1879 by the Japanese, but there are still lots of them to be seen. The material in her dress is of local origins." ms0470_pho_115 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Side view, full length standing portrait of elderly lady in stripped dress] ms0470_pho_116 1950-1952

Physical Description: 4 x 5

box 3

[Profile of elderly lady] ms0470_pho_117 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Portraits of elderly lady holding grandchild - both smiling] ms0470_pho_118 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Portrait of father (in lion cloth) and child] ms0470_pho_119 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"This is a typical shoe store. The owner makes the shoes out of blocks of wood stacked at right, and lines in the back of the shop. The children were all trying to watch me without getting their pictures taken, but had to bring out the baby boy, as they are always extremely proud to have a boy baby." ms0470_pho_120 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"No one except the members of the family can get access to the key around the dog's neck." ms0470_pho_121 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Man in hat - standing side view] ms0470_pho_122 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Portrait of smiling man] ms0470_pho_123 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Old Fisherman" ms0470_pho_124 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Squatting man in conical star hat] ms0470_pho_125 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Portrait of elderly man in dark kimono, staw hat and cane] ms0470_pho_126 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Elderly woman selling vegetables] ms0470_pho_127 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"This is my best picture. It explains itself." [Grandmother with little boy on back, girl climbing onto porch] ms0470_pho_128 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"The dark blue blouses with white strips on cuff and around neck flap are the school girl costume. This is a Japanese influence. As you see the girls on the left are doing all possible to hide their faces from the camera, the others too dumbfounded to turn in time. A second later they all ran back the path at the left. Nearby all the babies carried on their elders backs fall asleep and their heads dangle as on the girls back at the right. In America we are so careful to keep the baby's neck from bending, but here it is not considered so terrible." ms0470_pho_129 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Young boy, checkered kimono, holding knife] ms0470_pho_130 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Young boy, checkered kimono, holding knife] "This little fellow's head really looked like black velvet. His robe is of the red plaid that most of the children his size wear. Notice where the urine has run down his leg and the dust collected there more than the rest of his leg. Also the building is like all the rest, no paint." ms0470_pho_131 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Poor little fellow" ms0470_pho_132 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 10

box 3

"Four pairs of shoes, one pair of shoes" ms0470_pho_133 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Four artists painting] ms0470_pho_134 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Young boy in hat & overalls holding dirt clod] ms0470_pho_135 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Notice the mongolian features of this little girl" ms0470_pho_136 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Portrait of little girl with baby brother on back] ms0470_pho_137 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Standing full length portrait of young girl in boots] ms0470_pho_138 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Portrait of two lillte boys, one in very large shoes] ms0470_pho_139 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Young boy trying to loosen kite? stuck in tree] ms0470_pho_140 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Little girl sucking her thumb] ms0470_pho_141 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Seeking sea shells at the she sore [sic]" [Group of school girls tide pooling] ms0470_pho_142 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Fisherwomen catching fish?] ms0470_pho_143 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Little fishermen" ms0470_pho_144 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"School girls in their back yard, Towel was probably a present from a G.I. for an older sister" ms0470_pho_145 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Here is one of my prizes. This has the typical road, houses, terrain, fields, rice paddies amd the farmer carrying the honey buckets out to his field. I can smell the slop in those buckets from here! The House with the tiel roof is the "Honcho" or land lord's house." ms0470_pho_146 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Rice paddies" ms0470_pho_147 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Tree silhouettes in river and sky] ms0470_pho_148 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Distance view of village, harbor] ms0470_pho_149 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Road along coast, trees, beach, water] ms0470_pho_150 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

"Everytime it rains (average 200 days a year) you have to walk through this" [mud, tracks] ms0470_pho_151 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Army bunk, mosquito netting] ms0470_pho_152 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Army WAC - three quarter profile] ms0470_pho_153 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

box 3

[Army WAC - profile] ms0470_pho_154 1950-1952

Physical Description: 8 x 8

Box 4

Two enlarged mounted prints: [Children fishing on rock], and [Men with fishing boat] 1951-1952

Scope and Contents

Two original silver gelatin prints created by Dr. Charles Eugene Gail during his tour of duty with the army in Okinawa from 1951-1953. The prints were taken and developed by Dr. Gail.