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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Japanese Internment Poster
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Japanese Internment Poster

Artifact IDMO 2006.180.1
Object Type Poster
Maker
Date1942
Mediumpaper, ink
Dimensionsoverall H 22 in x W 14 7/16 in (55.9 cm x 36.7 cm )
Physical DescriptionA Japanese internment poster issued by the Western Defense Command and Fourth Army Wartime Civil Control Administration. The poster contains “INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY” and living in the Los Angeles on how all alien and non-alien individuals will be evacuated from the Los Angeles area between April 24 and May 1, 1942, as pursuant to the provisions of Civilian Exclusion Order No. 18.

An interesting note regarding this poster is that though it indicates it is for the Los Angeles, California area, the described configuration of streets for the impacted area is in Seattle, Washington. It is likely this mistake was caught early on, and the erroneous posters (like this one) retired before they could be posted in the city.
Historical NoteDuring the spring of 1942—acting under authority granted to the Secretary of War by Executive Order 9066—the military began posting “evacuation” notices in government-designated districts throughout the West Coast. They were attached to telephone poles, store windows, billboards, schools, and other public buildings.

This poster was directed at people of Japanese descent living in a district in Los Angeles. The English language poster, dated April 24, 1942, notified “all persons of Japanese ancestry” in the area that they would be “evacuated” by noon on May 1. Residents were instructed to report to a “civil control station” on April 25 or 26 “to receive further instruction.” See MO 2006.180.4 for a Japanese language version of the poster.
Additional Details
Credit LineGift of William J. vanden Heuvel
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesOriginal Posters from World War I and World War II (National Archives Identifier 739394)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestricted
CopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view