The Hammer Museum is currently exhibiting John Swope's photographs
until June 4, 2006. The exhibit is called "A Letter from Japan" which displays
vintage prints from Swope's 1945 journey through post-war Japan.
The exhibit was fabulous, because his photographs were some of the
first taken at the end of WW II.
Next to the pictures are short excerpts taken from a detailed letter that
he wrote to his wife Dorothy McGuire.
The exhibit is at the Hammer for another week. Parking is reasonable.
And I think admission was about 7 dollars per adult. It really made me
aware of the devastation that occurred to Japan during the war.
The photographs are powerful and the images captured convey messages
of trust, distrust, loyalty, freedom, devastation, and isolation.
I thought John Swope's collection of work was very moving.
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