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Terminal Island/Port of Los Angeles Collection

 Collection
Identifier: SPC-2018-042

Scope and Contents

The Terminal Island/Port of Los Angeles collection (1938-1947) contains over 400 black-and-white negatives and photographic prints of Terminal Island, Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, Catalina Island, Cerritos Channel and Port Hueneme, California. The bulk of the negatives are of Terminal Island taken between March-April 1942, just weeks after the citizens were removed as a result of Executive Order 9066 and before the entire area was demolished. Despite the beginnings of some overgrown foliage, the residences appear as they were when the settlement was evacuated. In front of each dwelling is a sign that states "East San Pedro Tract." Other images in the collection include roads, local businesses, residences, buildings, warehouses, aerials, and other additional photos. Notable photos include the Union Pacific Railroad near the Cerritos Channel, the Catalina Airport, the Oxnard Cannery, and the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation, and the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation.

Dates

  • 1938-December 1947

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

About 3,500 Japanese Americans lived on Terminal Island before World War II, in a community called East San Pedro. In 1942, the island's residents were forcibly removed from their residences by the United States government and relocated to incarceration camps. Their neighborhoods on Terminal Island were destroyed. This was the first incarceration of a Japanese American community during World War II in the United States.

Extent

5 boxes (<emph>3 boxes of photographic negatives, 2 boxes of photographic prints</emph>)

2.42 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains of over 400 black-and-white negatives and photographic prints of Terminal Island, Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, Port Hueneme, and Catalina Island, taken between 1938 and 1947. Photographs include businesses, residences, airports, warehouses, coastlines, railroads, and neighborhoods. The collection has been digitized and most of the material is available online.

Related Materials

This collection is part of the California State University Japanese American Digitization Project. For more information: CSU Japanese American Digitization Project.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Kathryn Brunet, 2019.

Processing Information for Digitized Materials

The Gerth Archives and Special Collections created digital reproductions from the original material for long-term preservation and access. These preservation files (26.2 gb, 536 tif files) were scanned to and stored on the Gerth Archives and Special Collections Deparment Drive. For more information on the best practices and standards for the digitization process, please see: CSUJAD Techincal Reference Guide.

Title
Inventory of the Terminal Island/Port of Los Angeles Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Kathryn Brunet
Date
2019-01-16
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • September 2019: Abstract, Scope and Content, and Container Information was revised by Jennifer Hill.
  • June 2021 : Abstract and Preferred Citation were revised. Processing Information for Digitized Materials and Related Materials were added by Jennifer Hill.

Repository Details

Part of the California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson CA 90747
310-243-3895