Mary and Samuel Takeo Himoto photograph collection
Scope and Contents
Collection contains photographs of unidentified family members taken in Tokyo, Japan (ca. 1910s-1920s, photographs and negatives of vacations (ca. 1959-1960, 1990s), weddings and social events, holiday gatherings and the Himoto's places of work. Of note are several photographs of Mary Himoto with Chicago Bears football players and a sheet containing their autographs (ca. 1982). Also included is an extensive slide collection that documents the life and experiences of Mary and Sam Himoto as well as special events in the Japanese American community in Chicago. Photographs and slides related to the Nisei Ambassadors Drum and Bugle Corps (ca. 1960s) are present as well.
Dates
- circa 1910s-2003
Biographical / Historical
Samuel Takeo Himoto (1925-2007) was born in Isleton, California. During World War II, he and his family were interned at Tule Lake Relocation Center in California. Upon their release, his family relocated to Rockford, Illinois where Samuel finished high school. He was then drafted into the United States Army Air Corps in 1945 and served in Bremerton, Germany until 1946. After he was honorably discharged from military service, Himoto returned to Chicago and obtained a job at Universal Pen Hospital, a business that had specialized in fountain pen repairs since 1923. He eventually became the owner of this business and continued to work steadily on pen repairs and engraving until his retirement in 2004. Samuel passed away on November 19, 2007.
Mary Suyama Himoto was born in Great Falls, Montana to Harry and Tami Suyama. Samuel and Mary married in 1959 and were active members of the Midwest Bonsai Society and avid Chicago Bears fans. Mary passed away on December 23, 1997.
Source: Himoto, Samuel Takeo
Extent
9 boxes
Language of Materials
English
Japanese
General
Stack West Wall Cabinet 08 Shelf 04 (Boxes 01-04)
- Title
- Mary and Samuel Takeo Himoto photograph collection
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the JASC Legacy Center Repository