Pictorial Photography and the Seattle Camera Club at the Henry

A new show sheds light on the pre–World War II work of Japanese photographers in Seattle

By Seattle Mag January 13, 2011

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This article originally appeared in the February 2011 issue of Seattle Magazine.

Despite the renown of its members, you probably haven’t heard of the Seattle Camera Club. Here’s why: Founded in 1924 by 37 talented Japanese photographers, the club thrived until World War II, when many of its members were sent to internment camps. The group disbanded and much of its work was lost, but the UW Libraries acquired some surviving collections, which are being exhibited at the Henry Gallery as Shadows of a Fleeting World: Pictorial Photography and the Seattle Camera Club. The more than 100 photographs on view display the artists’ blending of the pictorial style (reminiscent of Impressionism) and Japanese aesthetic tradition. David Martin, author of the new companion book by the same name (UW Press, $45), says many of the photographs haven’t been seen for 70 years. It’s high time. 2/12–5/8. Times and prices vary. Henry Gallery, 15th Avenue NE & NE 41st Street; 206.543.2280; henryart.org.

 

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