For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we’re highlighting the work of Junnosuke “Jun” Fujita, a photojournalist, poet, and silent film actor.
Born near Hiroshima in 1888, Fujita came to Chicago in 1909, becoming the first Japanese American photojournalist in the United States and achieving unprecedented success despite having to endure prejudice, bigotry, and hostility. He worked for the Chicago Evening Post and the Chicago Daily News, documenting major Chicago events in the early twentieth century such as the Eastland Disaster (1915), the 1919 race riots, and the aftermath of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1929).
A selection of his images are in our collection and can be viewed at CHM Images, our online portal. Some images are graphic in nature; viewer discretion advised.
Illinois National Guard sitting in front of a storefront during the race riots, Chicago, 1919. CHM, ICHi-065489; Jun Fujita, photographer
You can peruse thousands of digitized prints and photographs at CHM Images, our online portal. Featured galleries include images from our newly acquired Chicago Sun-Times Photography Collection, Raeburn Flerlage’s work documenting the Chicago blues and folk music scene during the 1950s–1970s, and Declan Haun’s photography capturing the American Civil Rights Era.
We encourage the use of our images for a variety of personal, nonprofit, and commercial purposes and all proceeds support the Chicago History Museum and our mission to share Chicago stories.
