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Authenticity is Everything
Hiroshima Survivor Kiyoshi Kikkawa Earliest Signature I Have Seen 1951 Still in Red Cross Hospital
Hi All,
Many of you know I collect artifacts, bits...of buildings, melted roof tiles, melted windows with wood in them, fused ceramic and metal, blasted electrical bits with aggregate...things from the Hiroshima Atomic Bombing. That blast stuff is very hard to authenticate. I also collect Survivor autographs - the closer to 1945 the better. Of the many signatures I have, even from this one man, and the many I have examined, this is the earliest yet by a full year. It's a man whose material I collect seriously.
Kiyoshi Kikkawa opened a "souvenir shop" near the Dome in mid-late 1951 and spoke and traveled and was a great proponent of peace. He helped to preserve the Dome. Shown below is him in the Red Cross hospital in 1946 or '47, the earliest signature I have seen, him after this still in the Red Cross Hospital (he left in April 1951 citing poor food and treatment), him signing his autobiography in his "Atomic Shop" near the Genbaku Dome 1953, the autobiography, signed and stamped, a rare snapshot from June,1952 showing him being photographed by solders - he had a badly flash-burned back with keloid formations I won't show here, and he would expose it ceremoniously for anyone who asked, and - a rare color slide of his shop in about 1954. Click to see entire image.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on
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MY error - 1917-1980. Sorry.
""There's no doubt about the death of my relatives. I subconsciously pointed my camera and pressed the shutter. The hollow sound of the shutter then still lingers in my ears."
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With staff 1955.
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Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on
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I have done that too had one date in mind and write another automatically.
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Re-posted for typos - sorry:
Some more new additions.
Another somber original gelatin silver photographic print of the Industrial Hall, taken at Daybreak August 1st, 1949 by Yuichiro Sasaki (1917-1980). I would love to find a signed copy of this. This example has little rippling from the hide glue used to affix it to the board. Very little "silvering" as well. Prime example
The Genkaku Dome in a startling composition C. 1956:
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Perhaps the earliest known Ansachrome color slide of the "souvenir" shop of Kiyoshi Kikkawa C. 1951/52 at what was then called Z ground. Future site of the Daibutsu Temple.
Kiyoshi Kikkawa at his shop, 1913-1987
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This is one of the first and certainly the earliest I have seen by Kikkawa in ballpoint. It is interesting to compare with his brush and fountain pen signatures.
Re-posted for typo corrections - sorry:
The slogan "No More Hiroshima's" came from an early temporary "Peace Tower" directly across the river from the Dome, in what would become the Peace Park. It lasted perhaps 2-3 years. It is useful for dating early photographs.
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Here is another early example signed in traditional Sumi. June 1952:
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Some new materials. Shown is a fragment of a roof tile recovered from the Motoyasu river, near the Dome and the Hypocenter. It was blown there during the immediate moment of the explosion, being submerged in water while its surface was still in a liquid state creating a specific surface texture not encountered on tiles which cooled more slowly on land. I arranged to have a few samples of these "river tiles" tested with a very sensitive Gamma Spectrometer, and they show a reading on the PPkeV line of 85 which is the signature of the Hiroshima bomb. Trinitite (Trinity test 7.16.45) shows cs137 and am241, which are not encountered with Hiroshima artifacts and are not found here. However, present in some samples is a trace of Alpha radiation from the neutron radiation created during the detonation. Also present in all is Eu152 (a Europium isotope), whose "Compton edge" reads at 85 - Hiroshima as mentioned above. Data from "Atomic Bomb Radiation Dosimetry in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and its Meanings", published by the Japan Radiation Research Society in 2009. These rare river fragments present no danger to human health at all according to an accomplished Dr. in this field and others.
A fragment boxed and presented by me for sale:
The reading of 85 on the PPkeV line on the Gamma Spectrometer taken from my submitted samples:
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To my knowledge, I am the first/only specialist Hiroshima artifact dealer to offer material with this data and these readings. A VERY limited amount is available. Much has been placed in public museums and private collections.
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Permalink Reply by Carol Pericht on
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I have a small book with this very inscription less there being a different date on the one that I have, along with that there is a separate photograph of Kiyoshi Kikkawa showing his scars as you mention, however mine has a signature in blue ink at the bottom of the front of the photo. I have long wondered about the origins of these two pieces, they have been in my possession for about 25 years.
Any information you could provide me would be so appreciated, I am including photo's of what i have except for the photograph showing the back scarring, I'd be glad to send that in a private message somehow if you wanted to see it as well. Is this a photo or post card print? I don't know anything and am not a collector, they are sort of wasted in my hands in that respect.
Thanks in advance
Carol
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I will respond shortly. Thank you.
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Hi Carol,
KK gave out or sold small app. 2x4 pearl finished double weight photographs of him with his arms over his head with bandaged wrists taken at the Red Cross Hospital (there is a sign with the date April 1947 IIRC). These are usually signed on the Reverse in fountain pen. As he was paying for these himself he eventually switch to regular matte photo paper - not double weight as the pearl finished examples. By 1953/54 he was giving out or selling printed postcards with an image of him holding a melted bottle in front of his shop - these bear a facsimile signature. I would be interested in any of the above. Your book is the second edition third cover and is often found signed. A lot of military men stooped at his shop during the Korean conflict. If you have any other questions I would be happy to answer them.
The books show up frequently enough that I stopped collecting them once I found a 1949 first edition second cover signed while he was still in the Red Cross Hospital - shown at the start of this thread. The first editions are desirable as they have real double weight photographic prints tipped in - as the Dome photo by Sasaki shown above.
Regards,
Eric
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Hi Carol,
Is this your postcard? Although a preprint and not hand signed I'd be interested. The image on the left is the one he was originally selling as a pearl finish double weight 2x3 photograph. Click for full image:
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