Rohwer Relocation Center: From the Perspective of the WRA Photos
Licensing |
The Rohwer Relocation Center was one of the ten American concentration camps for Japanese Americans during World War II. The center was located 110 miles southeast of Little Rock, Arkansas. It was opened in July 1, 1942 by the War Relocation Authority. Sixty two percent of the inmates were American Citizens.
The following photos were downloaded from the National Archives. The photos were taken by War Relocation Authority (WRA) photographers who were constrained by WRA rules. The photos could not be sad or too happy. A sad photo would make the camp image suffer. A too happy photo would make the administrators look like coddlers.
An example of images being too sad are photos taken by Dorothea Lange which were impounded by the Army. Lange was subsequently fired from her job. Ref. Dinitia Smith, NY Times, Nov. 2006, Photographs of an Episode That Lives in Infamy Retrieved March 17, 2011.
The photos are sorted by date. Click below and click on photos to enlarge:
Rohwer Relocation Center Photo Album >>
For those who would like more details about these images, go to the National Archives website at http://arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/BasicSearchForm. Hit "Digital Copies" and set limit to 1000. Type in "Rohwer Relocation Center" and hit search.
Slides in this album |
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Entering Rohwer 06/21/1944
Entering Rohwer 06/21/1944 |
Rohwer Cemetery 06/16/1944
Rohwer Cemetery 06/16/1944 |
Talent Show 11/16/1942
Talent Show 11/16/1942 |
Artist trained at Jerome sent to Rohwer 5/1944
Artist trained at Jerome |
Recreation buildingsEach block had a recreation building used to meet the needs of the camp.
Recreation buildings |
The Concentration Camp
The Concentration Camp |
The Concentration Camp
The Concentration Camp |
Military Service
Military Service |
Facilities Built by the Inmates
Facilities Built by the Inmates |
Agriculture
Agriculture |
Rohwer Today
Rohwer Today |