John Bonomi papers, 1940-1944

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Summary

Creators:
Bonomi, John, 1910-1972
Abstract:
John Bonomi worked for the Brunswig Drug Company and supplied pharmaceutical materials to Japanese Americans in concentration camps. This collection contains correspondences from various Japanese Americans who requested medicine and household materials, discussed payment methods, shared camp life, and friendly inquires. This collection also includes postcards and holiday greeting cards from Japanese Americans.
Extent:
.25 linear feet (1 box)
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], John Bonomi papers. 2006.22, Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

The John Bonomi Papers contain correspondences from various senders including envelopes, postcards, and holiday greeting cards. Many of his clients wrote to Bonomi on the letterhead of the concentration camp's hospital and asked for certain medicines to be sent to camp. One of the letters asked Bonomi to send a tube of lipstick for her birthday. The letters not only talked of the supplies needed, but also the conditions of the camp, the health of their families, their personal feelings about the war, and discussed payment methods. The letters show little the doctors, pharmacists, and nurses had to start up hospitals in the camps. The men and women were asking for such basic supplies to treat such simple ailments and relied upon Mr. Bonomi to provide them what they needed.

Biographical / historical:

John Bonomi grew up in Los Angeles, California and worked for Brunswig Drug Company shortly before World War II. Bonomi, a representative for Brunswig, sold wholesale drugs to Pharmacists in Little Tokyo before the war. When his pharmacist clients were taken to camp, Bonomi continued to keep in contact with them, and providing basic supplies for ailments throughout the war. Bonomi traveled to Manzanar several times to drop off medicine, and also sent supplies to clients in various camps (Poston, Gila River).

Bonomi moved to Monterrey Park during the war years as there was not much of a market left in Little Tokyo. Bonomi moved to the Long Beach area following the war.

Acquisition information:
Gift of John Carl Bonomi and Lillian Clara Bonomi, 2006.
Arrangement:

The collection is broken down into the following series:

Series 1: Correspondences from Frank Kumamoto and M. Nobe, 1942 (9 Correspondences. This series contains five correspondences from Frank Kumamoto (aka Match), four correspondences from Nobe, and one Christmas card.

Series 2: Correspondences from Masuoka Pharmacy, 1942 (5 Correspondences). This series contains one Christmas card, one postcard, and five correspondences.

Series 3: Correspondences from David S. Miyamoto, 1942-1944 (11 correspondences). This series contains one New Years greeting card and eleven correspondences from Miyamoto.

Series 4: Correspondences from Toshiyuki, 1942 (3 correspondences). This series contains three correspondences from Toshiyuki.

Series 5: Correspondences from various senders, 1940-1944 (6 correspondences. This series contains one Christmas card, one order sheet document, a postcard, and six correspondences.

Physical location:
Japanese American National Museum, 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90012
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

By appointment only. Please Contact the Collections Management and Access Unit by email (collections@janm.org) or telephone (213-830-5615).

Terms of access:

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 (collections@janm.org).

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], John Bonomi papers. 2006.22, Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.

Location of this collection:
Collections Management & Access Unit
100 North Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012, US
Contact:
213-625-0414
collections@janm.org
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