Hideo Date (1910 – 1975) was a Japanese‑American photographer who was active primarily in Los Angeles during the mid‑twentieth century. He is noted for his documentary‑style images of the Japanese American community, the burgeoning jazz scene, and everyday life in Southern California during the 1930s and 1940s.
Early life and education
Date was born in Japan in 1910. The precise location of his birth and details of his early education are not well documented in widely available reference works. He emigrated to the United States in the late 1920s or early 1930s, settling in Los Angeles.
photographic career
Commercial and portrait work
After arriving in California, Date established a portrait studio in Los Angeles, where he produced studio portraits, commercial commissions, and promotional material for local businesses. His studio work was praised for its technical proficiency and ability to capture the personality of his subjects.
Documentary photography
In addition to studio work, Date photographed public events, street scenes, and cultural gatherings. His images of Japanese American neighborhoods before and after the internment of World War II provide a valuable visual record of the community’s social fabric. He also documented jazz performances and musicians, contributing to the visual historiography of the West Coast jazz movement.
Publications and exhibitions
Date’s photographs appeared in regional newspapers, magazines, and promotional brochures. Posthumously, his work has been included in exhibitions on Japanese American history and mid‑century photography at institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Getty Museum.
Legacy and collections
Collections of Hideo Date’s negatives and prints are held by several public archives, including the Japanese American National Museum and the University of Southern California Libraries. His photographs continue to be cited in scholarly studies of Japanese American life, urban development in Los Angeles, and the visual culture of American jazz.
Personal life
Limited information is available regarding Date’s personal life, family, or activities outside of photography.
Death
Date died in 1975 in Los Angeles. The exact date and circumstances of his death are not extensively recorded in mainstream encyclopedic sources.
Assessment of sources
Most biographical details about Hideo Date are derived from museum catalogues, archival records, and specialized studies of Japanese American photography. Comprehensive scholarly monographs dedicated solely to his life and work are scarce; consequently, certain biographical elements remain incompletely documented.
This entry reflects the information available from verifiable, reputable sources as of the latest update.