[Home Movies of Topaz / 1942-1945]

Maker Tatsuno, Dave M.

Date1942-1945

Mediumfilm

DimensionsW: 3/4 in

ClassificationsMoving Images

Credit LineGift of Dave Tatsuno, in Memory of Walter Honderich

Object number91.74.1

DescriptionColor home movie footage of the concentration camp at Topaz, Utah, filmed by Dave Tatsuno circa 1942 to 1945. Footage shows a newspaper indicating Japan’s attack on the United States; family members packing for forced removal, and moves to footage of Topaz. Scenes from camp range from desert landscapes to buildings around camp, and New Years celebrations with mochitsuki. Families and kids are shown gathering together, while men work on construction. Footage includes primarily wartime Topaz, but also includes scenes from Salt Lake City, the town of Delta, and a postwar view of Topaz.

0:31- Newspaper headline, “Extra! War! Japan Attacks U.S!”
0:44- Signage, “Evacuation Sale”
0:48- Nichi Bei Bussan storefront
1:11- Signage, “Utah”
1:19- “‘43 Ramblings Topaz” yearbook, child
1:27- desert landscape
1:32- Barracks landscape, white flag waving
1:50- Barracks exterior
2:00- Wide shots of camp life with barracks
2:24- Signage, “Topaz Co-op”
2:30- Series of portraits
2:45- Signage, “Dry goods and Shoe Store”
2:51- Group shots of young women and men
3:21- Sunsets
3:50- Barracks exterior
4:28- Mother and child, family portrait
4:43- Large group of people outside camp church, wide and medium shots
6:34- Families
7:03- Construction, labor, men
8:08- Sunsets
8:12- Group of Caucasian visitors, possibly church visitors
8:45- Sisters in red outside of barracks
9:08- Construction, maintenance, men
9:20- Mothers and children
9:30- Barrack exteriors, wide
9:46- Driving shots
10:15- Group of unidentified people, winter, Delta
10:34- Signage, “Delta” building
10:40- Delta town street shots, wide, driving
10:57- Mountain Range from car interior
11:22- Group of unidentified people
11:31- Signage, “Entering Salt Lake City”, SLC street shots
12:17- Cropped, panning shots of Mormon Temple in SLC
12:39- Signage, Hotel Delta
12:42- Mormon Temple shots
13:11- “Thanksgiving 1943” written in rocks on sand
13:27- Signage, “Block 41 Residents Only”
13:31- Group shots of camp cooks, men and women
14:06- “Block Manager Office Mail Delivery” building with two men in front
14:15- Group of women
14:40- Snow, Barracks exterior, sunset
14:50- Mochitsuki, New Years celebration, children, snow
15:50- Mochi
15:59- Signage, hand drawn “Happy New Year Topaz 1944”
16:13- Unidentified white men, women, boy
16:41- Barrack exterior, day, soft lighting, wide
16:46- Family playing in snow with sleds
17:20- Exterior barracks, icicles, wide, snow
18:25- Snowing, barracks exterior, with/without people in frame
18:39- Elder sweeping snow
19:30- Barrack exterior, clear, daytime
19:44- Topaz Hospital, exterior
20:03- Topaz Post Office
20:10- Topaz Community Conference Feb. 11-13 “Adventuring into a New World pattern”
20:12- Topaz Swine Office
20:18- Pig pen, farm
20:38- People standing in front of bus (Teachers? Just a guess)
21:00- Barracks exterior, aerial view, daytime, clear
21:18- Girl in red ice skating
21:59- Family, baby
22:15- Koinobori, Kodomo No Hi
22:34- Two young men hold up blanket/banner, “National Collegiate Championship Masateru Tatsuno, 1944 Basketball” [University of Utah basketball players Wat Misaka (blue sweater) and Masateru "Tut" Tatsuno / brother of Dave Tatsuno (beige sweater)]
23:00- Wat Misaka and Masateru Tatsuno
23:38- Dust storm exterior barracks
23:59- Dry desert ground
24:19- Laundry
24:29- Family outside barrack
24:35- Signage, “Topaz High School”
24:37- Classroom interior, dark
25:01- Topaz H1-Y students group shot outside
25:31- “Happy New Year 1945”
25:35- Signage, “Relocation-Leave Office”
25:41-Relocation Office (Japanese text)
25:54- People lining up at the Relocation Bus, bus leaving shot
26:33- Unidentified white man and woman
26:58- Signage, “6 Months Old Topaz”
27:01- Mother and child portrait shot
27:20- Man in army uniform with his family, holding a baby
27:51- Barracks exterior pan, driving shots
28:53- Unidentified town streets view
29:31- Lake view
30:13- Children riding train
31:30- Family posing in front of home
31:48- Delta building and town views
32:31- Postwar Topaz remnants
32:45- Family walking through Topaz remnants
33:32- Children playing
33:48- Sunset

1 8 mm film.