Manzanar National Historic Site
Manzanar is one of 10 sites used by the U.S. government to isolate people of Japanese ancestry during World War II. The Interpretive Center at Manzanar National Historic Site explores this unforgettable chapter in American history through first-person accounts, environmental exhibits, and the incomparable photography of Toyo Miyatake, Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Clem Albers, and Francis Stewart, among others.
Several years ago, National Park Service (NPS) Director Fran Mainella praised the Manzanar Interpretive Center “as one of the best examples in the NPS of how modern exhibits should be done.” Harvest Moon Studio provided content planning and writing, and exhibit AV planning and scripting for the lead design firm, the Office of Krister Olmon.
The exhibits use powerful documentary images and first-person quotes to create a compelling, personal narrative. This approach required a close viewing of home movies, archival footage, and “contraband” images taken by Manzanar internee and professional photographer Toyo Miyatake, as well as a careful reading of hundreds of first-hand accounts recorded in letters, Congressional testimony, oral histories, diaries, and other primary sources.
Heather Lindquist has subsequently collaborated with the Office of Krister Olmon on interpretive exhibits in the newly renovated mess hall and replica barracks, and edited Children of Manzanar, co-published by Heyday and Manzanar History Association.
Listen to Heather Lindquist’s Radio Interview