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Description
Estelle (Peck) Ishigo (1899- ) was born in Oakland, California. She attended Otis Art Institute where she met and married San Franciscan Nisei, Arthur Ishigo (ca. 1929). Following Pearl Harbor, both were fired from their jobs and Arthur was ordered to a concentration camp. Estelle voluntarily accompanied him, and they were eventually assigned to Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming. Estelle documented life at the camp through her artwork. The collection consists of documents, records, correspondence, photographs, paintings, pencil drawings and sketches, and watercolor sketches related to Estelle Ishigo's life in the Pomona Assembly Center, California and the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Wyoming. There is also material related to the Ishigo's postwar resettlement in Southern California.
Background
Estelle (Peck) Ishigo was born in Oakland, California, 1899; attended Otis Art Institute; met and married San Franciscan Nisei, Arthur Ishigo (ca. 1929); following Pearl Harbor, both were fired from their jobs and Arthur ordered to a concentration camp; Estelle voluntarily accompanied him and they were eventually assigned to Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming; Estelle documented life at the camp through her artwork; they lived in poverty for many years following the war; Arthur died, 1957; fellow Heart Mountain inmates helped Ishigo republish her 1972 book, Lone Heart Mountain, ca. 1984; filmmaker Steven Okazaki made a documentary of Ishigo's life titled, Days of Waiting; she died before seeing the film (1990).Estelle Ishigo was a Caucasian artist and daughter of a concert singer and portrait and landscape artist. Born in Oakland, California, Estelle was surrounded by music and art. At age four, she showed promising abilities in painting and singing. By age twelve, she learned to play the violin.
Extent
5 boxes (2.5 linear ft.) 6 oversize boxes
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Availability
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.