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Ito (Arthur) papers
mssIto
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Arthur Ito papers
Creator:
Ito, Arthur T., 1918-2006
Identifier/Call Number: mssIto
Physical Description:
33.3 Linear Feet
(51 boxes, 7 oversize folders)
Date (inclusive): 1915-2016
Abstract: The Arthur Ito papers consist of
material related to his early life in Mexico, service in the World War II, and career in the
floral industry.
Language of Material: The materials are in English and
Japanese.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Arthur Ito papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of James A. Ito and Paul N. Coman, November 2016.
Ito family: Yoshimasa Ito (1881-1965) was born with the surname
"Oye," but adopted his wife, Fumiyo Ito's (1885-1933) surname to continue the family name.
Both were from the Tottori Prefecture, Japan. In 1902, Yoshimasa arrived in America to avoid
being drafted in the Japanese army. He worked for Standard Oil Company and, later, Vernon
Basket Company. In 1916, he married Fumiyo Ito, who recently arrived in the United States.
The couple had three children: Arthur Tadashi (1918-2006), Thomas Kiyoshi (1919-2016), and
Paul Susumu (1922-1989).
In 1925, Yoshimasa decided to move his family to Mexico where they settled on a 300-acre
Hacienda called "El Rancho de Los Naranjas," in Colima, Mexico. After the death of Fumiyo in
1933, the Ito family dispersed. Yoshimasa and Paul moved back to Japan, Thomas remained in
Mexico, and eventually, returned to Los Angeles, California, where he met his brother,
Arthur, who arrived earlier.
Arthur T. Ito met Aiko Alice (Kuromi) Ito in 1939. A couple of years later, he was drafted
into the United States Army during World War II. As a graduate of the Military Intelligence
Language School (MILS), Ito monitored Japanese communication, translated enemy intelligence
documents, and interrogated Japanese prisoners. Ito proposed to Kuromi in 1942, and they
married in Camp Grant, Illinois on February 14, 1943.
After the war, Ito was honorably discharged in October 1945. He returned to Los Angeles,
California where he opened his first flower stand in March 1946. In 1962, Flower View
Gardens broke ground in Hollywood, California. Flower View Gardens served many television
shows and movies in Hollywood. Ito was the first chairman of the California State Florist
Association and a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), Florists'
Transworld Delivery Association (FTD), Society of American Florists (SAF), and the American
Academy of Floriculture. In 1992, Ito was inducted into the Society of American Florists
Hall of Fame.
Arthur and Aiko had two children: Arthur T. Ito, Jr. (1944-1987) and James A. Ito.
Kuromi family: A.H. (Andrew Harue) and Kiyo Kuromi were from the
Shimane Prefecture, Japan and moved to America in the early 1900s. The Kuromis eventually
settled in Hollywood, California where they joined another family member growing flowers on
Los Feliz Boulevard. The couple had three children: Aiko (1919-2011), Isamu (1922-1996), and
Hitoshi (1925-1970).
In 1939, the Kuromi family returned to Japan to visit an ailing family member. This was
the same year Aiko met Arthur Tadashi Ito. A few years later, after the family returned to
the U.S., Executive Order 9066 was signed and issued by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which led
to mass evacuation and incarceration of the Japanese on the West coast. The Kuromi family
was incarcerated at the Santa Anita Racetrack Assembly Center, while the Gila River
Relocation Center in Gila, Arizona was completed.
When the war ended, Aiko returned with Arthur to re-establish Flower View Gardens. At the
store, Aiko was considered the "face" of the shop and the "glue," which held everything
together (Box 22 , Folder 4). She supported and accompanied Arthur as his political career
in the floral industry progressed.
After 55 years in the floral industry, Arthur and Aiko were looking to retire. Flower View
Gardens was sold to Gerald Stevens Company in April 2000. Unfortunately, the stock value of
Gerald Stevens began to decline and the store operation was closed in August 2001.
The Arthur T. Ito papers is organized roughly into four chronological series. Series 1:
1915-1941; Series 2: 1941-1945; Series 3: 1945-2016; and Series 4: A/V and oversize.
Series 1: consists of early material related to the Ito and
Kuromi family. While living in Mexico, Fumiyo Ito taught the children Japanese with books
sent by relatives from Japan. They spoke Spanish and learned English by reading the Bible on
Sundays. This was evident in three notebooks written by Ito in English, Japanese, and
Spanish. Ito also translated one of his favorite books: "Robinson Crusoe" in 1934. There is
a book written in Japanese related to Mexican Immigration in 1923. There are a few
photographs of the Ito family in Mexico, including images of Fumiyo Ito's grave in
Cuautitlan. Other photographs related to the Ito family include Yoshimasa (Oye) Ito at New
Vernon Basket Company in 1916.
Material related to the Kuromi family primarily consists of souvenirs acquired by Aiko
Alice (Kuromi) Ito during her visit to Japan from 1939 through 1941. While in Japan, Kuromi
kept one diary where she observes the weather and details daily activities such as going to
school, shopping, and cooking. There is material related to A.H. (Andrew Harue) Kuromi's
investment in the Nichi-Bei Investment Company, which entered a lease with the Yokohama
Specie Bank in 1932. There are also photograph albums and photographs of the Kuromi family
in Los Angeles, California and visit to Japan.
Series 2: consists of material between the time Arthur T. Ito was
drafted into the United States Army in 1941 and discharge in October 1945. The bulk of the
material in this series consists of letters between Ito and Aiko Alice (Kuromi) Ito. These
lengthy letters reveal a blossoming love story between two people miles apart. In an early
letter written by Aiko at the store on October 10, 1941, she confesses "I'm really beginning
to realize that I didn't appreciate a friend before, who was a swell pal and keen
company...I miss the person who used to work so diligently emptying heavy baskets and who so
willingly helped clean those heavy vases." After the Kuromi family was relocated in 1942,
Aiko's descriptions about conforming to camp life are insightful. However, in one letter,
she depicts a disorganized Wartime Civil Control Administration: "The unlogical part of it
is that they are still going to sell food at the canteens -- yet, they prohibit food in
barracks...Just a while ago, they brought in sacks of rice they confiscated" (May 15, 1942).
In another type of camp, Ito details military camp life from: Camp Grant, Illinois; Camp
Savage, Minnesota; Camp Blanding, Florida; and Camp Pinedale, California. Ito's Christian
faith comes through in his letters to Aiko. In response to Executive Order 9066, Ito is
hopeful: "Anyways, I do hope that, and know that, God is always with us, and where-ever the
Government sees fit for all of you to go, for the protection of yourselves, things will turn
out alright...let's all pray for the best" (March 15, 1942). In another poignant letter
written after the birth of Arthur T. Ito, Jr. in 1944, he addresses his son, "Daddy is at
the present time taking part in the greatest war the world has ever known. He is doing his
part as a citizen of our country, the United States of America. It isn't exactly his choice
to be out here, but in order that you may grow up into a world, which we hope will not have
to use the force of arms to keep peace when you grow up, he is doing his part out here now,"
(April 17, 1945).
Other Ito material related to World War II includes two entries for Camp Grant, Illinois
on December 30, 1942 and Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 4, 1943. Ito also kept a diary
with brief entries in 1941. For example, on December 8, 1941, he writes, "This morning at
11:30, President Rossevelt [sic] asked Congress to declare war on Japan, and the bill was
passed with a vote of 470 to 1. Japan and U.S. is at war. We all are in it now." There are
military records, such applications and discharge papers, military books, and photographs.
Ito also collected souvenirs, postcards, and menus from his travels around the country.
During the interment of the Kuromi family, Aiko frequently corresponded with accountants,
attorneys, and other individuals regarding their property and storage. There is also a
folder containing Aiko's request to transfer to Camp Grant, Illinois to join Ito; however,
it was denied by the Santa Anita Assembly Center. Aiko also kept a record of expenses such
as groceries and household supplies in a housebook from 1943 through 1945. She kept one
diary with brief entries in 1943. There are a couple of photographs from the Gila River
Relocation Center. Material related to claims and reparations is found in the Series 3.
Greeting cards also constitute a large part of this series. Many of them are undated;
however, the cataloger assumes they were exchanged during this period. There are also family
and wedding photographs of Ito and Aiko.
Series 3: primarily consists of Ito and Aiko's floral career
after the war; however, there is some material related to World War, 1939-1945. There is
correspondence related to the Kuromi family claims and reparations. There are also letters
and legal documents related to A.H. (Andrew Harue) Kuromi's investment in the Nichi-Bei
building in Little Tokyo, which, unfortunately, was lost during the war. There is also
printed ephemera related to the war and organizations such as Nisei Veterans and Go For
Broke.
From 1966 through 2003, Ito kept a diary (mostly on a notepad) of his daily activities at
Flower View Gardens and floral events around the world. There are also numerous clippings,
photocopies, and photographs related to Flower View Gardens, Ito and Kuromi families, and
the floral community. Some of these clippings are found in scrapbooks located elsewhere in
the collection. Most of the photographs are related to the Florists' Transworld Delivery
Association (FTD) events; however, there may be FTD related photographs in Box 35 (9) and
Box 36 (1), but they were not easily discernible. The photographs in those boxes concern
various demonstrations, arrangements, and floral organizations such as the American
Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) and Society of American Florists (SAC). There may be
some overlap between photographs related to Flower View Gardens, Kuromi family, and Aiko
Alice (Kuromi) Ito.
An item of interest may be Ito's childhood reminiscence Box 38 (3). He writes about his
parents and adventures in Mexico. For instance, while clearing rocks with his brother
Thomas, "We knew, and had been warned several times of the deadly 'Alacran' (scorpion). Thom
put his hand under a rock, and sure enough, here was a large scorpion...bit him in the index
finger. My immediate reaction was to carry Tom back to the house for treatment, what I
really should have done was to open a wound on his finger and suck the poison out..." (p.
20-21).
Note: There is another reminiscence in the Series 1, Box
6 (17) that may have been written in 1935.
There is correspondence from Ito's father, Yoshimasa (Oye) Ito and brother, Paul Susumu
Ito, primarily written in Japanese. There are also letters and postcards from friends and
family in Mexico and Japan concerning family news and activities. Letters related to floral
industry is found in correspondence, scrapbooks, and subject files. For example, e-mails
related to Japan Florists' Telegraph Delivery Association convention are included in the
subject files.
Series 4: consists of oversize and audio/visual material. The A/V
material includes audio cassettes, DVDs, and VHS. They primarily relate to Arthur T. Ito's
floral career and Japanese Americans serving during World War II. There are also photograph
albums, scrapbooks, rolled-objects, 3-D objects, and sketches for various floral design
proposals.
The Arthur Ito papers is organized roughly into four chronological series:
Series 1: 1915-1941;
Series 2: 1941-1945;
Series 3: 1945-2016; and
Series 4:
A/V and oversize.
Processed by Gina C Giang in May 2018. In 2022, rolled items in box 52 were flattened
and/or treated. In 2022, Maggie Hughes updated the container numbers to reflect that the
materials previously in box 52 are now in oversize folders 4-7.
• There may be some overlapping content related to the A.H. (Andrew Harue) Kuromi's
investment in Nichi-Bei Investment Company across Series 1, 2, and 3. The reason being his
involvement began before World War II, he lost his investments during the war, and after the
war, the family continued to deal with the aftermath of their lost.
• Many of the photograph albums and scrapbooks have loose contents and missing
photographs.
• The scrapbooks in Boxes 38 and 39 were originally in binders, but the contents have been
removed and rehoused in archival sleeves.
Existence and Location of Copies
Selected audiovisual items from this collection have been digitized. Digital reproductions
are available in the
Internet
Archive
.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Cut flower industry
Cut flowers
Floriculture
Florists
Japanese American families
Japanese American soldiers
Japanese American veterans
Japanese Americans
Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
Japanese Americans -- Reparations
World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, Japanese American
California, Southern
Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Clippings (information artifacts)
Diaries
Greeting cards
Letters (correspondence)
Photographs
Ito, Aiko Alice (Kuromi)
Ito, Arthur T., 1918-2006
Ito, Yoshimasa (Oye)
Ito family
Kuromi family
American Institute of Floral Designers
Florists' Transworld Delivery Association
Gila River Relocation Center
Military Intelligence Service Language School (U.S.)
Santa Anita Assembly Center (Calif.)
Society of American Florists
United States. War Relocation Authority
United States. War Department. Military Intelligence
Service