Join us for a screening of The Mystery of George Masa, followed by a discussion with the founder of the George Masa Photograph Database, Angelyn Whitmeyer.
The Mystery of George Masa details the life of Masahara Iizuka, a Japanese immigrant who came to the Asheville in 1915, where he focused his camera and his passions on preserving the beauty of the wilderness he discovered. Eighteen years after his arrival, his death left behind thousands of photographs and an impressive legacy that included a role in the founding of two great national treasures, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Trail. However, throughout his life in America he was secretive about his past, with no one knowing the details of his life experience and his inner passions.
Angelyn Whitmeyer’s journey with George Masa began in the fall of 2019 with her initial research of early photographers in western North Carolina. After reading about Masa in William A. Hart, Jr.’s essay (“George Masa – The Best Mountaineer” published in May We All Remember Well, Volume 1) and watching Paul Bonesteel’s film (The Mystery of George Masa), she decided to look for his work. She almost immediately realized the difficulty in finding photographs by George Masa, so she decided to locate as many Masa photographs as possible and create a database of his work for anyone to review and study. The focus of the database is solely on his print photography.
When: Friday, May 24, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: Black Mountain Public Library Community Room (105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain, NC 28711)
Cost: $5 for SVM Members, $10 for General Admission. Some fees may apply.
