[Home Movies of Amache (Granada) and Pueblo, Colorado / circa 1944]

Date1944

Mediumacetate

DimensionsFilm Format: 8.00 mm

ClassificationsMoving Images

Credit LineGift of the Family of Tomojiro Sagara

Object number2001.32.2

DescriptionColor and black and white home movie footage of a farm outside Pueblo, Colorado, and the Amache concentration camp at Granada, Colorado by Tomojiro Sagara, circa 1944. Footage shows harvest time near Pueblo, Colorado (including tending and harvesting crops) and summer at Amache (including children and adults playing and walking around, flowers, Nisei soldiers, and a festival and parade.)

Three of the children (two young girls and an older boy) are most likely Irene Masako Sagara, JoAnne Akiye Sagara, and George Tomokazuo Sagara (children of cameraman Tomojiro Sagara).

Timecode list:
(black and white)
0:31 – On a farm outside Pueblo, Colorado. Man pumping water outdoors into a bucket. Feeding pigeons in hand; chickens in background; lawn mowing.
1:01 – Panning view of house exterior. Man raking the lawn. Young man feeding pigeons. Young woman in polka dot blouse walks towards camera operator and stands with a young man. More panning over house (underexposed).
1:51 – Young man holding and feeding a pigeon. Panning over house exterior, chickens in the backyard, and flowers.
2:39 – Panning view of small plants in fields; people working in rows with hand hoes. Some closeups of men and women farm workers. Some workers ham it up for the camera.
04:16 – Views of garden bushes (roses or camellias); young man lying on grass.

(color)
5:02 – Farm workers picking string beans, including close ups. Overflowing baskets of beans.
6:10 – Views of onion field (or similar). No workers visible.
6:39 – Farm workers walking towards camera operator, making faces.
6:47 – Slow panning over corn field (viewed from the field’s edge). No workers.
6:59 – View down a road, cows on the road.
7:04 – Corn field and cows on the road as seen from a moving vehicle.
7:30 – (Back at Amache.) Panning view of a barracks exterior (painted green?!) covered with planted flowers. Toddler from Sagara 01 film (in stroller) sits on a rock ledge of a flower bed, fidgets with her hands. Man holds toddler in his lap, the toddler plays with a flower.
9:09 – Close ups of climbing flowering vines on barracks exterior.
9:30 – Young women walking between barracks in pairs and groups. Many barracks have flower gardens outside.
10:03 – Little girl posing in front of flowering vine wall. Closeups of toddler carrying a flower; tweens run back and forth.
11:11 – Two little girls hold hands; one runs away and the other in cowboy boots beckons her to come back. More children running around; close ups of flowers.
12:22 – Little boy swings from a cable angling down from an electric pole.
12:27 – Woman carries armfuls of food and beams at the camera.
12:35 – Indoor flower arrangements.
12:53 – Same toddler sits on edge of flowerbed and walks around, plays with spoon and cup. Closeups of flowers.
14:07 – Two nisei soldiers in khaki outfits and garrison caps pose for the camera, long shot of walking away from the camera.
15:05 – Two (new?) nisei soldiers, closeups. Woman sweeps dirt, then hides from the camera operator. Young adults chat and hang out.
15:40 – Nisei soldier plays with yo-yo.
15:48 – Toddler sits and stands in metal pail.
16:16 – Toddler pushes a Taylor Tot-style baby stroller.
16:53 – Panning views of flowers. Children and adults outside barracks.
17:31 – Woman hangs laundry outside.
17:38 – Toddler pushes baby in a stroller (still Taylor Tot-style, but different model than 16:16). Children and adults walk between barracks buildings; children stand for the camera.
18:35 – Laundry visible on lines. Young women freeze and run away from camera operator. Older man tries to hide from camera operator. Women carrying covered parcels of food and teapot. More hiding from camera.
19:13 – Boy holds baby for the camera.
19:49 – Boy on barracks porch; woman hides behind baby from 19:13.
20:10 – Beginning of a parade. Scouts drum corps in the distance walking away in formation. Camera operator moves to be ahead of the scouts and pans across.
20:26 – Three caucasian girls in costume dresses walk in a costume parade. Group entries seem to be organized by barracks block number. People holding a banner reading “HOWZING Problem?” Other people in masks carrying signs walk behind, possibly representing various school grade levels. Man in monkey costume runs around with other men in clown costumes.
20:50 – “F[?] Conference” sign, and men dressed up to look like Uncle Sam and a Japanese equivalent. Another group pretends to be carrying a tiger from a pole. Many other costume groups.
22:00 – View of crowd; scout drum corps marches again.
22:24 – Views of carnival area.
23:00 – Children running race. Views of booths, crowds, and streamers.
23:33 – Boys racing to eat donuts off a string without using their hands.
24:11 – Views of spectators.
24:40 – End of film.

Color and b&w super8 home movie footage of farming in Pueblo, Colorado and life in Amache concentration camp in Colorado in 1944 during World War II. Pueblo footage is color and b&w and contains people on farm -- man feeding pidgeons, mowing lawn, chickens -- men and women weeding fields, and harvesting string beans. Amache camp footage is in color and contains child with flowers in front of barracks, people, including two Nisei soldiers, walking through camp, mess hall, woman hanging laundry, G.I. playing with yo-yo, boys playing marbles, and a parade with people in costumes and games.;1 film reel : si., b&w and col. ; 8 mm. original reversal pos. , Title provided by cataloger. , Enclosed in 5.875 in. diameter blue tin and reel. , Original label on reel tin: Pueblo, Camp. 1944 Sagara.