Historic photographs offer unique look at Japan in the aftermath of the Second World

Historic photographs offer unique look at Japan in the aftermath of the Second World War

Ottawa, Ontario, December 16, 2008 — A new special exhibition at the Canadian War Museum looks at the devastating impact of war on both military personnel and civilians. A Letter from Japan: The Photographs of John Swope features images taken in Japan by this noted American photographer at the end of the Second World War. They include photographs of the liberation of Allied prisoners of war and of the Japanese people’s efforts to survive military defeat and economic ruin. Together, they are an “intimate picture of peace,” as describes Pulitzer Prize winner John Dower in the introduction to the exhibition catalogue.

A Letter from Japan, organized by the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, presents more than 100 photographs printed by John Swope around the time they were taken. This is the first time they are show together in a major exhibition. Swope’s own words, drawn from his remarkable 144-page letter to his wife, complement his work and detail his thoughts and emotions as he worked in Japan.

Swope, who was best known for his work in Hollywood, was sent to Japan by the United States Navy to document the release of Allied prisoners of war. He travelled the country for almost a month, compiling a photographic record of the prisoners’ liberation and capturing images of war’s devastating effects on the local population. Profoundly moved by the experience, he recorded his observations and feelings in a letter to his wife, actor Dorothy McGuire.

“A Letter from Japan invites us to ponder a theme that is both universal and timeless: war’s tragic effect on individuals and societies,” said Mark O’Neill, Director General of the Canadian War Museum. “It also provides us with a unique insight into one of the defining moments of the twentieth century.”

During the Second World War, both sides of the conflict demonized their enemy. Swope was unusual in seeing his subjects, victors and vanquished alike, as human beings traumatized by war who struggled to survive in its aftermath. With a humane and artistic eye, he captured images of individuals and families going about their daily lives in a world ravaged by conflict, enmity and physical destruction.

Swope had hoped that his words and images would one day be combined into a photo essay. This wish was not fulfilled in his lifetime, but has been brought to fruition in this unique exhibition and its accompanying catalogue.

A Letter from Japan also includes images taken during Swope’s career in Hollywood, in his post-war work as a Life magazine photographer, and as an international