Japanese Internment Poster

[Collector5516]

I purchased this internment poster a number of years ago and was wondering what the approximate value would be today. I saw a few on eBay with BINs but those all seem to be reproductions (even though they say original). This one has obvious condition issues but I believe it to be 100% authentic. It is on a thicker paper stock, almost cardboard thickness as these were often hung outside.

Does anyone know of any examples that are currently for sale?

Here is mine...

[Bob Hudson]

There is an online bookstore that has several priced at $500-750, but they are in nice condition with the only issue being the fold. Yours is in pretty bad shape so I would not be surprised if it was worth less than $100: documents can take a big hit based on condition.

 

http://hilead.eurekabooksellers.com/2009/0...ver-oregon.html

[Collector5516]

Thanks for sharing that link. It's hard to tell from a photo but all of the ones shown on that site as well as the ones on eBay all appear to be in great condition for their age. Is it possible these sat in a warehouse and were never hung? I purchased a similar one off of eBay about 10 years ago. I was told it was an original but always assumed it to be a repro because of the condition and the thin paper stock. All of the posters on this site seem to be in excellent condition except for the same fold that all of them have.

 

Thanks,

Ben

 

There is an online bookstore that has several priced at $500-750, but they are in nice condition with the only issue being the fold. Yours is in pretty bad shape so I would not be surprised if it was worth less than $100: documents can take a big hit based on condition.

 

http://hilead.eurekabooksellers.com/2009/0...ver-oregon.html

[Jason G]

Very cool piece. I rather like them 'used' instead of 'minty'. But that's just me.

[Collector5516]

Very cool piece. I rather like them 'used' instead of 'minty'. But that's just me.

 

Me too. Whether its a helmet, flag or item like this I like to see that it was used.

[themick]

Does your poster have any marking on the reverse? I bought one from Ebay several years ago, mint condition, and it has a stamping on the back. I've always been suspicious of it, frankly.

 

Steve

[Collector5516]

Does your poster have any marking on the reverse? I bought one from Ebay several years ago, mint condition, and it has a stamping on the back. I've always been suspicious of it, frankly.

 

Steve

 

Steve,

 

I don't think there are any markings on the reverse. It's at my dad's place so I'll double check next time I go. I too purchased one off eBay years ago that was sold to me as authentic but I don't think it is. It looks almost new and is on a thinner paper stock than the one I showed above. I do remember I purchased it from someone in California. Do you have a pic of yours?

[cavaddict]

Hello Gents,

The poster that sold on eBay from California was probably from me. I believe it to be real. I purchased a bunch of stuff from a collector years ago. On the top of a shelf was a brown paper wrapper. Inside there were six of the same poster. I bought them all. Three were on paper and three were a heavier card stock. The opened packaging, judging by the folds in the corners of the brown paper, which I still have, was about 3/4 in. thick. My guess it would have held about 50-100 posters in it. There are period photos on line of these posted on phone poles etc. It can be seen that some were indeed thinner paper.

Best,

Rob

[ac106]

Hi

 

If you use a blacklight on the poster it can indicate if the paper was made after 1950.

 

Also I don't agree that the poster is in as bad shape as some suggest. While it looks rough, none of the losses are in the writing. This could easily be restored and since no restorative painting is needed, I don't think it would be prohibitively expensive if you intended to keep it.

 

If you intend to sell it I would probably leave the restoration up to the buyer. In the above condition $100 is probably a decent offer.

[Collector5516]

Hello Gents,

The poster that sold on eBay from California was probably from me. I believe it to be real. I purchased a bunch of stuff from a collector years ago. On the top of a shelf was a brown paper wrapper. Inside there were six of the same poster. I bought them all. Three were on paper and three were a heavier card stock. The opened packaging, judging by the folds in the corners of the brown paper, which I still have, was about 3/4 in. thick. My guess it would have held about 50-100 posters in it. There are period photos on line of these posted on phone poles etc. It can be seen that some were indeed thinner paper.

Best,

Rob

 

Hi Rob,

 

Thanks for sharing that info. I'll see if I can dig up any records on my original purchase to confirm that I purchased the poster from you. The paper/print quality just doesn't seem right but I could be wrong. I still have to take photos of the poster next time I'm at my dad's place. Can you take photos of the packaging you still have?

 

Best,

Ben

[Collector5516]

Hi

 

If you use a blacklight on the poster it can indicate if the paper was made after 1950.

 

Also I don't agree that the poster is in as bad shape as some suggest. While it looks rough, none of the losses are in the writing. This could easily be restored and since no restorative painting is needed, I don't think it would be prohibitively expensive if you intended to keep it.

 

If you intend to sell it I would probably leave the restoration up to the buyer. In the above condition $100 is probably a decent offer.

 

I'll have to blacklight it when I take the photos. As for the condition of the phone I posted above, it does look rough, but it doesn't bother me as the text is not affected and I know its 100% original. I really don't like to restore items unless the restoration needs to be done to prevent further deterioration. No plans to sell it anyway. At least not in the near future!

[cavaddict]

Ben,

I sure can take some photos of the packaging. I need to figure out how to post them. I tried earlier to put some up of my collection, but the files were too big. I need a tutorial in re sizing. I think these posters were originally printed in small batches. The "exclusion orders" were site specific in that they addressed a specific area from which people of Japanese ancestry were "excluded". The six I found were the Presidio area of San Francisco. Your tattered one is from the Vermont area in Los Angeles. In some internet surfing, I found examples that address many other areas. I believe they were also originally pair'ed with the parent poster with the large "People of Japanese Ancestry" heading as is seen in period photos. I also found a listing of a pair of these posters (parent poster and exclusion order) that were framed and matted. They sold at auction from Christie's I believe for over eight grand. Yikes! There were also much lower priced sales records as well. All the more reason to do some more research.

Best Regards,

Rob

[gunbarrel]

In today's news...

 

http://news.yahoo.com/internment-camp-letters-found-denver-building-201251956.html

[uplandmod]

Interesting find!

Leonardo

[rrobertscv]

I saw one at a local auction back in Oct., it was in MINT condition and sold for $800.

[Collector5516]

From the same stash?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Internment-Camp-Posters-for-Sale-/181031997320?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a26590f88

[Collector5516]

So I found eBay paperwork pertaining to the auction for the poster I bought. The seller's user id was rocklady1 and they were located in Oro Valley, AZ.