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Neil Flowers North Korea Journal photograph album

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: 3037

Scope and Content

North Korea Journal: 2002 is a large album (30 cm x 42 cm) of photographs taken by poet, screenwriter, writer, director, actor, editor, and USC alumnus Neil Flowers during a trip to North Korea (DPRK) in June 2002. The images depict places Flowers visited and people he met during his visit. The beautifully restored temple Kwang Bop Sa (Kwangbopsa) is featured in the photographs; as is Pyongyang, the massive performance art spectacle called Arirang, and the United Nations buildings at the 48th parallel DMZ. One page features propaganda billboards in the capital city. Captions are included for many of the photographs in the form of description and/or poetry. The photographs are mostly in color with a few in black and white. This is a unique one-of-a-kind book that captures a moment in the history of "The Hermit Kingdom". Also included in this collection are pamphlets, guides, maps, and a second photograph album on his trip to South Korea and China.

Dates

  • Creation: 1995 - 2002

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Advance notice required for access.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Curator, Korean Heritage Library. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Korean Heritage Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

Neil Flowers, a Canadian who lives and works in Los Angeles, was the only Caucasian amongst 19 Koreans from L.A. who were invited by the North Korean government to visit the DPRK. These Korean Angelenos (and Flowers) had been contributing financially to a noodle factory in Pyongyang that fed the poor. The group also brought books, clothes, food and other items for the Buddhist monks who maintain the remaining temples in the country (many were destroyed during the war).

Extent

2 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Korean

Abstract

North Korea Journal: 2002 is a large album (30 cm x 42 cm) of photographs taken by poet, screenwriter, writer, director, actor, editor, and USC alumnus Neil Flowers during a trip to North Korea (DPRK) in June 2002. Flowers, a Canadian who lives and works in Los Angeles, was the only Caucasian amongst 19 Koreans from L.A. who were invited by the government to visit the DPRK. These Korean Angelenos (and Flowers) had been contributing financially to a noodle factory in Pyongyang that fed the poor. The group also brought books, clothes, food and other items for the Buddhist monks who maintain the remaining temples in the country (many were destroyed during the war). The images depict places Flowers visited and people he met during his visit. The beautifully restored temple Kwang Bop Sa (Kwangbopsa) is featured in the photographs; as is Pyongyang, the massive performance art spectacle called Arirang, and the United Nations buildings at the 48th parallel DMZ. One page features propaganda billboards in the capital city. Captions are included for many of the photographs in the form of description and/or poetry. The photographs are mostly in color with a few in black and white. This is a unique one-of-a-kind book that captures a moment in the history of "The Hermit Kingdom".

Acquisition

Gift of Neil Flowers, July 18, 2013.

Processing Information

This collection is unprocessed.

Title
Finding aid for the Neil Flowers North Korea Journal photograph album
Status
Unprocessed
Author
Joy Kim
Date
2013 July
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • 2023 August: Finding aid updated and boxes added by Marissa Chavez for History Associates Incorporated

Repository Details

Part of the USC Libraries East Asian Library Repository

Contact:
Doheny Memorial Library
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-1825 United States