Tōyō Miyatake

A photographer who secretly documented Japanese American internment camps during WWII

Tōyō Miyatake (1896–1979) was a Japanese American photographer best known for documenting life at the Manzanar internment camp. Despite confiscation of cameras, he smuggled a lens and built a makeshift camera to capture raw images of displacement.

Key contributions:

• Historical Record: His photos, like "Boy Behind Barbed Wire", became iconic symbols of resilience.
• Artistic Integrity: He insisted on including internees as collaborators, challenging dehumanizing narratives.
• Post-War Advocacy: His studio in LA became a hub for rebuilding community ties.

Miyatake\'s work remains vital in discussions of civil liberties and visual storytelling under oppression.