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Nearly 80 years after Army photographer Frank Buchman captured the resilience of a postwar Guam, his lens is finding a new audience. The Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum in Long Beach is set to host "So We Leapt - Para I Hinanao-ta Mo’na," a poignant exhibition bridging the gap between Guam’s liberation and its living legacy.
Families attended the “So We Leapt” debut exhibit last summer at the Guam Museum. A condensed version of the exhibit will be making its North American debut at the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum in Long Beach starting this weekend.
(photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
The exhibit, which opens Saturday, features a collection of Frank’s photographs taken between 1944 and 1946, meticulously curated and restored by Guam’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, Manny Crisostomo.
Selected from over 500 prints and negatives, these historical images are displayed alongside contemporary portraits from “Hasso,” a project by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Johnny Cepeda Gogo, that honors WWII CHamoru survivors now in their 80s and 90s.
A Fandango Reimagined
While the exhibit is a condensed version of its previous showing in Guam — occupying about a fifth of the original space — the curation is intentionally immersive.
"We’re being really creative on how to hang these pieces," Manny said, noting the shift from 12-foot murals to a more intimate collection of 50 canvas prints and 20 tapestries.
The 1945 Perez wedding was captured in a series of shots by the late Army photographer Frank Buchman, including this group portrait of the wedding party including bride and groom Rosita Cepeda Suzuki and Francisco Francisco Perez. The image, colorized by exhibit curator Manny Crisostomo, was shared as part of the exhibit debut at the Guam Museum last summer.
(photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
A centerpiece of the Long Beach installation involves the museum’s replica of a traditional CHamoru guma’. Manny plans to drape the hut in tapestries featuring a wedding series to replicate the atmosphere of a fandango.
Inspired by the foodways captured in the Buchman photographs, CHamoru PhD student and food studies scholar Samantha Olvera will be offering a reimagined wedding cake in the gallery. This cake will be an artistic sculpture to honor CHamoru love, museum Director Fran Lujan said.
The Search for Names
For the organizers, the exhibit is as much a genealogical mission as an artistic one. Identifying the faces in postwar photographs remains a priority.
Guests at the “So We Leapt” exhibit at the Guam Museum last summer were invited to identify family members depicted in the post World War II photographs taken by the late Army photography Frank Buchman.
(photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
"Basically we wanted people to see the photos and get excited when they walked by, and say that was them as a child," Manny said.
The project has already seen success; a woman in Los Angeles recently identified her grandmother in the collection online, and about a dozen other individuals were named at the exhibit at the Guam Museum last year.
“So We Leapt” debuted last summer at the Guam Museum, where visitors could identify family members depicted in the postwar photographs taken by the late Army photographer Frank Buchman.
(photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
In tandem with the exhibit of the Buchman collection and portraits of WWII CHamoru survivors and liberators, a Guam flag will be available for signing this weekend by war survivors and liberators who haven’t signed it yet.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Johnny Cepeda Gogo, left, assists a WWII CHamoru survivor in signing a Guam flag provided at the “So We Leapt” debut exhibit last year on Guam. (photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
Opening Weekend
The opening has already generated significant buzz, with RSVPs at capacity on Saturday.
From left, Judge Johnny Cepeda Gogo, Emily Borja Unpingco, Rob Perez, and Manny Crisostomo at a ‘Hasso’ book signing event.(photo courtesy of Manny Crisostomo)
When: The exhibit opens this weekend and will be available for viewing during regular hours Wednesday through Sunday 11 am-4 pm.
Special Guests: Manny Crisostomo, Judge Johnny Cepeda Gogo, and investigative reporter Rob Perez will be in attendance Saturday for a book signing.
The Flag Signing: A third Guam flag will be available for CHamoru WWII survivors to sign on Saturday and Sunday. To date, three flags have collected 379 signatures from survivors and liberators.
Family Connection: Representing the Buchman family, Barbara Garrett will attend and speak on behalf of the late photographer.
While the canvas prints and tapestries are not for sale, a companion book detailing the discovery of the collection and the stories of the survivors will be available for purchase. For details and updates, visit the museum’s website at pieam.org.
The book “So We Leapt – Para I Hinanao-ta Mo’na: Guam after Liberation & CHamoru WWll survivors” will be available for purchase at the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum in Long Beach.(photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
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