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1919 -- Josephine Finneyfrock was born. [She would graduate
from the University of Maryland School of Nursing, receive her
certification as a Medical Assistant and work for 37 years for a doctor
in the Washington, D.C. area. When the physician died, she
would continue working for his doctor-son. In 1970, she,
Molly Hersh and Jim Newton would found the Potomac Bonsai
Association. She would serve the P.B.A. over the years in almost
every office, and with Molly she would be the behind-the-scenes "glue"
for both Washington BCI conventions, 1976 and 1986. Jo would
serve as Corresponding Secretary on the BCI Board from 1978 to
1981. She would die in 1989.]
("Bonsai World Suffers a Great Loss" by Jean C. Smith,
Bonsai, BCI, Vol. XXVIII, No. 3, May/June 1989, pg.33)
1923 -- Two minutes before noon, as all of the lunchtime cooking fires were going, the Great Kanto Earthquake (8.3 magnitude) struck the 2.5 million person capital city of Japan. Officially, 142,807 people died or were missing in the five-minute long quake, subsequent fire storm, and thirty-six foot high tidal wave in the main city and suburbs. Over 250 bridges were ignited by falling cinders. Three-quarters of Tokyo was destroyed; neighboring Yokohama was practically wiped out of existence. Ninety of the 237 total aftershocks occurred within the first twenty-four hours. In the two cities combined, nearly six hundred thousand dwellings were destroyed for an estimated loss of $2.8 billion dollars. Many landscape gardens were also damaged or destroyed, and at least two temples in the old capital of Kamakura (only a dozen miles away from Yokohama) were collapsed by the quake. Why this is important to us: [Near downtown Tokyo was the Kanda area, where bonsai were grown in the backyards. It was one of the areas gutted by the earthquake's firestorm. Following the disaster, the two-year-old Bonsai Promotion Group would be disbanded (but its magazine, Bonsai, would continue). Soon after the earthquake, a group of thirty families of professional growers from downtown Tokyo and now under the leadership of Ritaro Shimizu would go looking for a location with cleaner air and water. Having made a contract with Zensaku Kojima (a landlord and a member of the Diet) to borrow a lot, the group would purchase some land in a forest of stately Japanese red pines, cryptomeria, and cherry-trees which was overrun with grass. This was near Hikawa Shrine on the way to Nikko. There, about twenty miles (32 km) northwest of Tokyo and at an elevation of about 60' above sea level, they would clear an area of approximately thirty-one hectares (about 76 acres) in the northern part of Omiya Park, settle, and form a Bonsai Mura or Dwarf Tree Village. A carpenter, Kin-ichiro Kusakabe, would settle in and begin building houses. Shimizu, a bonsai master who had had a nursery in Tokyo, would establish the Village's first bonsai nursery in 1925. A monument to him would be raised in the town. Tomekichi Katō would be another of the founders there. The Bonsai Village would subsequently see the arrival and development of many enthusiasts who would go on to become experts of this art. One of the enthusiasts would be Bimei Chubachi, vice-mayor of Tokyo and a lawyer by profession, who would become a commercial dealer in bonsai at Omiya and help to further popularize the art. At one time on the city's outskirts, the Village would soon became part of Omiya due to rapid urbanization. And the town would be hailed as "the center of the bonsai universe" in Japan.] ( Tokyo by Don Briggs, 1969, 51st edition, pp. 82, 117-118; Japan, The Official Guide, Tokyo: Board of Tourist Industry, 1941, pp. 231, 296, 308, 540; Earthquake by Bryce Walker, Alexandria-VA: Time-Life Books, 1972, pg. 152; Bonsai:Trees and Shrubs by Lynn R. Perry, NY: The Ronald Press, 1964, pg. 67; unattributed article "Bonsai of Omiya" in Bonsai, BCI, June 1973, pg. 10; Bonsai by Deborah R. Koreshoff, Brisbane: Boolarong Publications, 1984, pp. 9-10; Bonsai by Susan M. Resnick, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1992, pg. 17; "Profile of a Bonsai Internationalist: Saburo Kato" by Ted Tsukiyama, Bonsai, BCI, May/June 1990, pg. 21; "Bonsai Personality -- Kyuzo Murata" by Dr. Juyne Tayson, International Bonsai Digest Bicentennial Edition, 1976, pg. 13; Personal e-mail correspondance between Yukio Murata (Kyuzo's grandson) and RJB on 12/24/2004.) 1938 -- Dan Barton was born in Hong Kong, the last of thirteen children. [He would first acquire an interest in bonsai in 1969, but would never have any formal training and would be essentially self-taught. He would be fortunate in having been trained and qualified in the first instance, as an art teacher, and, later in graphic design with Applied Photography being his main subject. He would be a Senior Lecturer at the Bristol Polytechnic (now the University of the West of England) and finally would be graduated to Head of the Photographic Department. Dan would, for over 25 years, serve as a judge for Bonsai at the Chelsea Flower Show and numerous other Royal Horticultural Society shows. He would receive three Awards for photographs of bonsai trees exhibited at the International Bonsai and Suiseki Exhibition, Osaka, Japan, including the major Award for 1989. His first work on bonsai, The Bonsai Book: The Definitive Illustrated Guide, would be published in 1989 by Ebury Press and would be re-printed several times (with a Spanish translation by 2006). Dan would be a Founder of the Association of British Bonsai Artists (2000), The Bristol Bonsai Society, and The Classical Bonsai Circle. He would create several national Bonsai events such as "The Joy of Bonsai" and "Bonsai UK Exhibition" (BUKEX). He would also receive many other International awards for bonsai. Dan would be made a Member of the British Bonsai Roll of Honour (by FoBBS) for contributions to the furtherance of Bonsai within Britain and he would be honoured in 2006 by the Association of British Bonsai Artists (ABBA) with their "Most Prestigious Award." He would be a guest bonsai demonstrator at numerous Bonsai Conventions in the U.K., most of the European countries, and in America on numerous occasions. In the twenty-first century, he would extend his interests to making individually handcrafted stoneware pots for bonsai with his wife, Cecilia, and they would market these pots under the business name of "Esoteric Pots." The couple would have four children (one deceased) and five grandchildren by 2008.] 
"Dan Barton"
("Background,"
http://danbartonbonsaipots.wordpress.com/dan/) SEE ALSO: Sep 26
(Bonsai Magazine, BCI, Vol. XXVI, No. 6, November/December 1987, pg. 9) 1964 -- The Nippon Bonsai Association (Japan Bonsai Society) was founded for the purpose of expanding, advancing and sharing the bonsai art, to enhance the national sentiment on behalf of this art form, as well as to make a contribution to culture in general. The original Society was a private group. [Its purpose was so widely applauded that its growth would be steady and by only Feb. 11, 1965 it would be registered as a public corporation under the auspices of the Japanese Minister of Education. Following the WW II-loss of much traditional bonsai material in Japan, this Association was formed partially to assure bonsai in its mature artistic form would not lose ground to immature tree or kusa planting as popular introductions into the art. The Society would assume the important responsibility of establishing policies, promoting understandings and, to a certain extent, enforcing standards of bonsai culture. An important contribution would be made by the Society in establishing the true bonsai art which had been traditionally cultivated in Japan and it would also serve the advancement of bonsai art throughout the world by raising the level of effort and popularizing this special art form. The Society would cooperate in displays which would bring much praise during the Olympics in Tokyo and it has supervised bonsai exhibitions on a regular basis at Hibiya park in that city.] ("On Behalf of the Japan Bonsai Society, Inc.," pg. III , English edition of Bonsai Masterpieces ( Nippon Bonsai Taikan, "Grand View of Japanese Bonsai and Nature in Four Seasons" ), 1972, translated by Yuji Yoshimura and Samuel H. Beach; Internet Bonsai Club Forum posting by Chris Cochrane, 30 June 2010, http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/kusamono-accent-plantings-f10/i-got-the-idea-from-dan-barton-25-years-ago-t3184.htm#34245) SEE ALSO: Oct 10 |
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1951 -- William N. Valavanis was born in Waukegan, Illinois.
[At age 11 he would begin to pot seedlings and bend them into bonsai shapes.
At age 15, in Charleston, West Virginia, he would begin to exhibit and lecture on
bonsai at local garden clubs, and the following year would start the "House of
Bonsai" business. The summer of 1970 would be spent studying in the garden of
Kyuzo Murata
in Omiya, Japan, and the following year Bill would graduate from The State
University of New York Agricultural and Technical College at Farmingdale,
Long Island, NY with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture. The next
year would be back to Japan to study bonsai with Kakutaro Komuro and Toshio
Kawamoto, bonsai chrysanthemums with Tameji Nakajima, and earn a master's
teaching certificate in ikebana from the Shofu School. Returning
to his home in Rochester, NY, Bill would have to redevelop the bonsai collection
which he mostly sold to finance his study in Japan. A degree in Floriculture
and Ornamental Horticulture from Cornell University would follow in 1976
on the heels of several months study at
Yuji Yoshimura
's School of Bonsai in Briarcliff Manor, NY. During
his school days Bill would continue to teach, train and sell bonsai; at
Briarcliff he'd conduct introductory and intermediate level bonsai courses.
Returning from another trip to Japan in 1978, the business' name would be changed
to "The International Bonsai Arboretum" and Bill would begin publishing the
International Bonsai
magazine in 1979. He would continue to teach classical bonsai art. On Jan. 27, 2009
a house fire would destroy much of Bill's
house and office.
A few fund-raisers by the bonsai community would help a little in the long rebuilding process.]
Bill Valavanis and Yuji Yoshimura, 1969.
(Photo courtesy of Alan Walker, 05/11/07) 
Bill Valavanis, 04/11/2003
(bio,
International Bonsai, 1986/No. 2, pg. 13; some of the trees of WNV,
http://www.artofbonsai.org/galleries/valavanis.php) SEE ALSO: Oct 11
(Photo courtesy of Alan Walker, 05/11/07) |
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1979 -- Susumu Sudo opened his "Masterpiece Bonsai Garden" on the rooftop
of the Ginza branch Mitsukoshi department store
in Tokyo, Japan.
Susumo is a young master of the contemporary bonsai world and is proprietor
of the famous Chikufu-en Bonsai Garden located in Tochigi Prefecture, about
an hour and a half from the capital. At Mitsukoshi, approximately
fifty bonsai are always on display against a bamboo fence or in a large
water basin. Commercial quality, contemporary styled bonsai of various
species are offered for sale. Additionally, a small indoor showroom
is used for antique and new Chinese containers, books, and Masakuni bonsai tools.
"Masterpiece bonsai garden, operated by Susumu Sudo, on the rooftop of the
Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo, Japan." (International Bonsai, Spring 1980, pg. 30) 
"Susumu Sudo in front of a tokonoma display
("Masterpiece Bonsai Garden Opens" in
International Bonsai, IBA, Spring 80, pg. 30)
featuring a newly acquired five-needle pine." (ABS Bonsai Journal, Spring 1992, pg. 18) |
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| 6 | 1991 -- Grandmaster Kyuzo Murata, proprietor of the Kyuka-en Bonsai Garden in Omiya, Japan died at the age of 89. ("Editor's Note," Bonsai Journal, ABS, Spring 1992, pg. 28) SEE ALSO: Nov 24 | ||||
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1913 -- Kahn Komai was born in Los Angeles, the second son of the founding
publisher of "Rafu Shimpo," the premier newspaper of the L.A. Japanese
American community. [He would go on to be a son-in-law to, student
of, and translator for teacher and nurseryman Frank Nagata.
Kahn would open his own nursery in Temple City in 1958, and would himself
become an influential figure in Southern California bonsai.]
"Well-known Bonsai Artist Khan Komai leaning in front of the classroom in the
("In Memory" by Marybel Balendonck,
Bonsai, BCI, September/October 1996,
pg. 28) SEE ALSO: Jun 19
Komai Bonsai Nursery, Temple City, California. Photo courtesy of Dr. Juyne Tayson." (BCI Bonsai, June 1978, pg. 151) 1925 -- James J. Smith was born in Evansville, Indiana. [In 1950 after reading about bonsai in garden magazines he would order the year-old book entitled How to Grow Living Miniature Ming Trees at home by John Kiktavi and four packets of seeds form National Nursery Supply in Inglewood, California. The seeds would germinate but none of them ever became a bonsai. It would, however, start a "love affair" with bonsai. At this time the only book that would be available to Jim was a book by Norio Kobayshi published in 1950 by the Japan Travel Bureau and later the 1957 book by Yuji Yoshimura. These would be his teachers. Since then he would become an accomplished bonsai artist recognized around the world. In 1956 he and his wife Billie would move their family of four boys to Vero Beach, FL, where he would discover tropical bonsai. Jim would study under some of the most accomplished bonsai teachers in America, such as Yoshimura, John Naka, and Tosh Saburomaru, to name a few. Jim would found the Treasure Coast Bonsai Society in 1975. He would exhibit his trees at the Miami Bonsai Clubs International Convention (BCI) in 1975, at all the Bonsai Societies of Florida (BSF) conventions since 1976, at all the BCI Conventions in Florida, at all the Epcot Flower shows, and at the 1993 World Bonsai Friendship Federation (WBFF) in Orlando. Jim would write many articles for bonsai publications and pictures of his bonsai would be seen in books published around the world. He would conduct workshops and demonstrations in many major venues. [In 1979, he and his son Doug would start the Dura-Stone Nursery and would provide quality bonsai and pre-bonsai to his wholesale customers. The Nursery would be open to the public from 8-5 on weekdays or by appointment. Jim would patiently and freely give advice derived from his years of experience in bonsai to all enthusiasts. [On Nov. 15, 2009, Doug would pass away while in hospice for cancer.] 
"Jim Smith conducting innovative workshop for 16 children at WBFF '93 using
Ficus Neriifolia (also known as Salicifolia) to inspire these upcoming bonsaiists." (He also gave a demonstration using the same species by creating a 21-tree Literati style forest, tightly gathered into a 22-inch oval tray.) (Bonsai Magazine, BCI, Vol. XXXII, No. 5, September/October 1993, pg. 29) 
Jim Smith, by Walter Pall, 03/03/2003
("A living tribute to the bonsai styling of James J. Smith,"
http://www.jimsmithbonsai.com/;
"The Bonsai of Jim Smith," http://www.artofbonsai.org/galleries/jsmith.php)
SEE ALSO: Apr 1, Apr 16, Apr 29, Jul Also, Sep 15
(Photo courtesy of Alan Walker, 05/11/07) |
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1944 -- Count Yorinaga Matsudaira died at age 70. (Born Dec. 10, 1874, he was Sometime
Speaker of the Upper House/House of Peers in Japan. His interest in bonsai began after
the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 [see Sep 1 above], and he became one of the most well-known
growers and collectors of miniature bonsai. His collection eventually reached a
thousand specimens of excellent quality, which he and the Countess tended with great enthusiasm.
Whenever he was on a trip, he used to carry some of his favorite bonsai with him in a basket specially
designed and made for the purpose. In 1934 he was named the first president of the
newly formed Kokufu Bonsai Association.
[After he died during the war many of his miniature bonsai would be destroyed by the bombings.
Some of them would be carried away from Tokyo to the country, to escape the dangers of war, but
these would suffer because his widow was short of help, and some of the bonsai would die. About
two hundred would survive and be brought to Atami. The Countess would write a short chapter
about the collection for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's 1953 Handbook on Dwarf Potted Trees.
In 1975 a 208 page commemorative book, Matsudaira Mame Bonsai Collection Album, would be published
in Japanese which would include over 230 photos of the trees, viewing stones, garden, and the couple.)
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2003 -- Kazuya Morita passed away
at the age of 75. (He had worked for the Mainichi Newspaper Company after his
graduation from university. He was asked to work for the Nippon Bonsai
Association and started in 1980 as the editor-in-chief for the NBA's magazine
Bonsai Shunju
(until 1988). At the same time, he was
very active in promoting international exchange and organizing many activities
and events when Bonsai was becoming popular internationally.
He played an indispensable role for NBA, particularly for the great
success of the 1st World Bonsai Convention in Saitama, Japan in
1989. He was one of the persons who supported the establishment
of WBFF. A well-known Bonsai hobbyist, he was introduced as a
hobbyist 30 years ago in a Bonsai magazine. He never tried to enter the
Kokufu Ten, the world's most
prestigious exhibition, but he participated in many
bonsai exhibits held by NBA. He was a man of details and was good at
Zoki
(deciduous) tree bonsai. However, for the last 10 years Mr.
Morita was more involved in suiseki, especially with those called
Hakkai-seki
from Niigata. He and his older and younger brothers all used to go out together
for the search of good suiseki.)
Kazuya Morita, 10/02.
("About Kazuya Morita" by Yuji Tamura, translated by Hiromi Nakaoji, World Bonsai Friendship Federation,
http://www.bonsai-wbff.org/kmorita.shtml
)
(Photo courtesy of Alan Walker, 05/11/07) |
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1969 -- The Eastern Province Bonsai Society was founded by the well-known Gwen Skinner, based in Port Elizabeth in the
Eastern Cape of South Africa.
(The society website:
http://www.epbonsai.co.za/
) SEE ALSO: Mar 27
1973 -- In Tampa, delegates from ten established Florida bonsai societies came to the organizational meeting of the Bonsai Societies of Florida (BSF). BSF was formed out of necessity because these early clubs wanted to host an International Bonsai Congress and the only way to do it was to get practice. [So the first Florida State bonsai convention would be organized and held by BSF in 1973. On July 2-6, 1975 in Miami, BSF would host the International Bonsai Congress '75. Then Bonsai Clubs International would return twice for their annual convention and in 1993 it would be held in conjunction with the World Bonsai Friendship Federation's World Bonsai Convention in Orlando. BSF, entering the next century with 28 member societies, study groups and societies at large, was the first statewide bonsai organization in the United States. When the folks in California and then ten states in the Southeast wanted to form similar organizations, they would look to BSF for help and guidance.] (The society website: http://www.bonsai-bsf.com/history.html ) SEE ALSO: Feb 25, Apr 29 2008 -- Jane Nelson, a long-time resident of Seattle, Washington, passed away following a long valiant fight with cancer. (Jane was one of the original founders of the Puget Sound Bonsai Association in 1973, on the ABS Editorial/Publications Committee (1988-2000), ABS President (1993-95), ABS Symposium workshop leader (1998), winner of the ABS Ben Oki National Design Award in 2005, a long-time bonsai teacher and enthusiast, and a wonderful personal friend to many.) Memorials can be found here, pp. 2-5 
Jane Nelson
(Personal e-mail to RJB from Roger Case, 25 Sep 2008; Nelson, Jane "The History of the Puget Sound Bonsai Association,"
http://www.bonsai-wbff.org/nabf/newsletter5/pugetsound.htm;
"PNBCA Bonsai Instructors," http://pnbca.com/instructors.html) SEE ALSO: Mar 8
(ABS Bonsai Journal, Fall 1993, pg. 87) |
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2001 -- A massive forest planting named "New York No Kokoro" was started
as a living memorial to those who died in the events of September 11.
Bob Pressler, bonsai artist, teacher and owner of Kimura Bonsai Nursery
created this with the help of at least 16 students. Consisting of
an approximately 8' x 4' slab resembling natural stone and roughly shaped
like the island of Manhattan, the custom-made base represents the rock
solid strength of the people of New York. Planted on the slab are
110 live, strong, adaptable, and versatile Foemina Junipers varying in
size from 4" to 46," along with two hollowed, charred dead trunks 10" and12"
high of very old bonsai. The number of trees stands for the number
of floors of the World Trade Center. [The final planting would be
completed on October 14. The forest would be on display at Kimura
Bonsai Nursery until the spring of 2002 to insure a successful recovery
from the transplanting and shaping process before traveling to New York
City. The tax-deductible September 11th Living Memorial Bonsai Fund
(c/o Kimura Bonsai Nursery, 17230 Roscoe Blvd., Northridge, CA 91325)
was established to raise the necessary funds for the transportation, maintenance
of, and construction of a permanent display for the piece.]
Bob Pressler with "New York No Kokoro" by Walter Pall, 03/04/05
("New York No Kokoro (The Heart of New York)" by Bob Pressler,
Golden Statements,
GSBF, Vol. XXV, No. 1, January/February 2002, pp. 28-29)
(Photo courtesy of Alan Walker, 05/11/07) |
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1990 -- The
Fuku-Bonsai Center
opened for business on a beautiful 17-acre
site on the island of Hawaii. Founded by David Fukumoto, the center
features nine themed gardens, including the Hawaii State Bonsai Repository,
whose first tree would be put into place on Sept. 21, 1990 After
a year-long shake down period a two-day grand opening celebration would
be held Sept. 21-22, 1991. [A fungus problem which had begun about
1987 was exascerbated in the early 1990s when defective fungticide killed
off most of the nursery plants. The Kona location would be closed
and a new facility would be started in Kurtistown by the end of 1995.]
("Big Bonsai News from The Big Island,"
ABStracts, ABS, November 1990,
pp. 1-2; "Fuku-Bonsai Center" by David Fukumoto,
Journal, ABS, Fall
1991, pp. 8-11; "Fuku-Bonsai Recovering!" by David Fukumoto,
Bonsai,
BCI, September/October 1995, pg. 46 )
1997 -- Actor and clown Red Skelton died in a California hospital after a long illness at the age of 84. (A very talented composer, writer, painter, and collector, he also was an avid gardener specializing in bonsai trees. Some 300 specimens would be trucked from his large Palm Springs home (Sunset Zone 13, Low Desert Areas) to the one in Bel-Air (Sunset Zone 23, Thermal Belts of Southern California's Coastal Climate) when the former's weather got too hot. When the weather cooled off, the trees were moved back.) ("Ask the Televisionary," TV Guide Online, May 11, 2004, http://www.tvguide.com/tv/televisionary/040511.asp?datediff=760 ; "Goodnight, Red Skelton And May God Bless...", http://www.wkvi.com/091897.htm ; "Red Skelton and Indepak," http://www.indepak.com/skelton.htm ) 2005 -- Arthur Douglas "Doug" Hall died. (Born March 9, 1916, Doug and his wife Steph were largely responsible for introducing Bonsai to South Africa. He had a wonderfully easy way about him and those who remember his talks and his supervision of our workshops will have many happy memories. He co-wrote with Don Black The South African Bonsai Book in 1976 (which was translated into Afrikaans the following year). A couple of years ago, Doug gave permission for his informative book Growing Bonsais in South Africa to be published. This book is by far the best manual for beginners in Bonsai, and will therefore enable and allow students in the southern hemisphere to reap the benefits of his acute knowledge of trees.) ("News" by Don and Pam Norquoy, http://www.saba.org.za/news.htm, accessed 10/23/2005) |
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1988 -- Constance Tortorici Derderian died. (She was a founding
member of the American Bonsai Society and served as a director for many
years. From 1969 to 1984 she served as honorary curator of the
Arnold Arboretum's Larz Anderson bonsai collection. For her dedicated work
in bonsai, in 1979 she received the Gold Medal of The Massachusetts Horticultural
Society. A highlight of Connie's tenure as curator came in the fall of 1982,
when three plants from the Larz Anderson Collection were put on display at the Boston
Museum of Fine Arts to celebrate the opening of its newly renovated Asian wing.
In June 1987 the newly renovated bonsai house at the Arnold
Arboretum, with an improved security system added to a structurally sound
Douglas fir building whose new doors provided visitors with an unobstructed
view of the collection, was dedicated to her.)
"Connie Derderian working on one of the Larz
Anderson 'Chabo-hibas' in 1970. From the Archives of the Arnold Arboretum." (Del Tredici, Peter "From Temple To Terrace," Arnoldia, Vol. 64, Numbers 2-3, 2006, pg. 26) 
"Constance R. Derderian points out the unique
(
Early American Bonsai: The Larz Anderson Collection of the Arnold Arboretum
by Peter Del Tredici, (Jamaica, MA: Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University,
1989), pp. 12-13; "In Memory,"
ABStracts, ABS, Vol. 16, No. 4, November 1988; "From Temple to Terrace, The Remarkable
Journey of the Oldest Bonsai in America" by Del Tredici
(Jamaica, MA: Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University: Arnoldia 64/2-3, 2006), pg. 26)
SEE ALSO: Apr 13, May 12
qualities of Sea-grape for bonsai." ("Bonsai Workshops," ABS Bonsai Journal, Vol. 12, No. 4, Winter 1979, pg. 90) |
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1976 -- The Club Peruano de Bonsai was founded on Jorge Lucero's visit to Lima, Peru
during his second bonsai lecturing tour of South America. This particular tour
started in Caracas, Venezuela, where he had organized the visit of grandmaster John Naka to
that city. (Lucero was also instrumental in the formation of the Club Venezolano de
Bonsai, in Caracas that year, and the Sociedad Conservacionista y de Bonsai, in Valencia,
Venezuela the next year.) He was John's assistant during his presentations there.
John was to return to the U.S. after the visit to Venezuela and Jorge would continue his bonsai
lecturing tour to Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. But John, with his wife Alice,
were so excited about being in South America that he wanted to come with Jorge after Venezuela
to Peru and also visit the ruins of Machu Picchu. (Jorge had planned to do that before
starting his tour.) Jorge hastily arranged Naka-san's trip and while the former was in
Colombia, the grandmaster went to Peru and to the ruins. They then met in Lima and John
observed and participated in Jorge's lectures, demonstration and workshops. The people in Lima
did not know Naka-san was coming. On the first day of activities, John and Alice showed up.
He introduced himself as "Jorge's Junior Assistant". Needless to say, that group of people
was truly excited and all had a great and unforgettable experience. The group could not have
afforded to bring John Naka to speak before them at that or at any other time. (John would never manage
to get back to Peru, although in later years he would visit Venezuela again and also Colombia.
(Personal e-mail from Lucero to RJB Sept 13, 2006) SEE ALSO: Sep 22, Nov 20
1985 -- " Bonsai," a set of four postage stamps, was issued by the Republic of China (Taiwan). SEE ALSO: Jan 29, Feb 3, Feb 16, Mar 1, Mar 27, Mar 31, Apr 3, Apr 6, Apr 18, May 6, May 29, Jun 16, Jul 20, Aug 20, Aug 22, Oct 1, Oct 4, Dec 9. |
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1982 -- The
National Bonsai Foundation
was incorporated under the Washington,
D.C Non-Profit Corporation Act. (Three years after the Bicentennial
gift of Japanese bonsai, Janet Lanman talked to Dr. John L. Creech, Director
of the National Arboretum, about the possibility of acquiring American
bonsai. Shortly thereafter Creech pursued the idea in a letter to
Marion Gyllenswan: "It really calls for an independent body of bonsai authorities
to look at the overall situation with private collections of heirloom quality
and develop some kind of plan for their preservation, either as part of
a national collection or by local public institutions." Acting on
this suggestion, a group of Arboretum volunteers and Yuji Yoshimura's students
organized themselves as the National Bonsai Committee.) [The Board
of Directors would initially meet two months later. The Foundation's
first project would be to help develop the design and nature of and raise
funds for an American Bonsai Pavilion.]
("What's Past",
http://www.gwu.edu/~jeffstep/bonsai/nbf/past_prologue/pp_pt1-1.html
; personal e-mail from Felix Laughlin to RJB, May 6, 2002) SEE
ALSO: Mar 20, May 2, Aug 7, Oct 1
2004 -- Scientist, writer, potter, artist, and critic Max Braverman died in Everest, WA. ("In Memorium," Journal, ABS, Vol. 38, No. 4, Winter 2004, pg. 17) SEE ALSO: Sep 28 |
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| 25 | 1985 -- The First Chinese National Penjing Exhibition began today in Shanghai and would run through October 20. [A penjing composition by Yangzhao master Qingquan Zhao, "Painting With Eight Horses," would take first prize at this judged exhibition.] (Karin Albert personal e-mail to RJB, July 15, 2002; Hu, Yunhua Chinese Penjing, Miniature Trees and Landscapes (Portland, OR: Timber Press; ©1987 Wan Li Books Co., Ltd., Hong Kong), pg. 59) SEE ALSO: Jan 27 | ||||
| 26 | 1981 -- The two day first-ever National Bonsai Convention of the newly formed Federation of British Bonsai Societies (FoBBS) convened at Keele University, Straffordshire, about forty miles south of Manchester. Over 250 registrants from most of the then twenty-eight listed clubs in Wales, Scotland and England participated. Peter Adams and Dan Barton were among the lecturer-demonstrators. ("Notes From the First British Bonsai Convention" by Robert Burgess, Bonsai, BCI, January/February 1982, pg. 12; "The Start of a New British Tradition" by Lucille Lee Roberts, Bonsai, BCI, April 1982, pp. 86-86.) SEE ALSO: Jul 23, Sep 1, Oct 8 | ||||
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| 28 |
1929 -- Max Braverman was born in Far Rockaway, New York, a part of
the borough of Queens. [He would go on to have a varied life which
included, among other achievements, a PhD in Zoology/Physiology from University
of Illinois (1955-60); post-doctoral fellow with culture of mammalian cells
in Stockholm, Sweden (1961-62); consultant to research unit for radiation
therapy at Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA (1966-70); collaborator on computer
applications of research at Los Alamos Scientific Lab, NM (1967-71); and
consultant on teaching science in elementary schools for Mountainview Center
for Environmental Education in Boulder, CO (1970-77). Max would become
interested in clay in the mid-1960s and become a "functional potter" as
opposed to an "artist." While in Japan to present a paper before
an international congress on hydroid development, he would come upon books
regarding the virtues of the peasant tradition in both Japanese and Chinese
crafts. These would change his life. Returning home he would
become self-employed as a potter in Taos, NM (1971-77) and Hope, NJ (1977-86).
Then he'd spend six weeks with his family in China and Taiwan in the early-80s
studying where the best examples of the ceramic arts were still produced
by hand. It would be in New Jersey where his sculptor wife Kate Bowditch
and he were introduced to bonsai, spending a day early on picking Chase
Rosade's brains. Inevitably he would start experimenting with bonsai
containers, first for his own use and then for sale. At a conference
in Seattle they would find their hand-made bonsai pots happily received,
and thus be encouraged to move West. Continuing to throw on the wheel,
he would be proprietor of the
Pine Garden Bonsai Nursery
in Arlington, WA (1986-1998). With his
wife he would craft entertaining and informative book reviews for the ABS
Journal
(in at least 6 issues, Spring 1991-Winter 1992). In the early days
of the Internet Bonsai Club, Max would be among those who attempted to
gather regional data for posting to the list so folks beyond his area would
be informed of activities. He would post and host the first suiseki
collecting trip to which any potential registrant was invited (ten showed
up Aug. 92), and would offer the first suiseki for sale on the Internet.
Difficulties with maintaining thousands of starter plants for five years
before they were large enough to market, a damaging winter storm, and realization
that the few people who cherished hand-made containers weren't numerous
enough to keep even the less than a dozen bonsai potters in the US alive
all strained both the business and marriage to the breaking point.
Max then would move on to Xiamen, China. Located halfway between
Shanghai and Hong Kong, this base would allow him trips to Bali and Indonesia
while working on other projects. (Shortly after his move to China
his entire collection of pots with Kate's trees would be stolen.
Other pots of his creation would continue to be prized.) In early
June 2002 he would have a slight heart attack, and the following month
be moved back to Washington state.]
"Here [Max Braverman] displays a small, collected alpine
hemlock in a glazed and fired example of this [step-by-step demonstrated] container. The turquoise glaze reinforces the delicate blue-green of the tree's needles." (ABS Bonsai Journal, Winter 1989, pg. 21, Fig. 16) 
Kate Bowditch and Max Braverman.
(ABS Bonsai Journal, Spring 1991, pg. 28) (Personal e-mails to RJB, June 6, 2002 and Jan. 26, 2003; E-mails between Max and Chris Cochrane, March 8-9, 2002, forwarded to RJB the following day, © Max Braverman 2002, reprinted with permission; "Searching For the Perfect Stone" by Max Braverman and George Heffelfinger, Journal, ABS, Spring 1993, Vol. 27, No. 1, pg. 17) SEE ALSO: Sept 24 2008 -- The National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia opened in a temporary location in Commonwealth Park in central Canberra. This first, national, and permanent collection of bonsai in Australia at Stage One consists of some 30-50 or so trees that have either been donated or loaned to it. For public enjoyment and education, on display is an initially small collection of high-quality bonsai and penjing representing the diversity of styles amongst Australian artists. It is the first of the '100 Gardens' in the Australian Capital Territory's major "Canberra International Arboretum and Gardens" project. [It will be funded by the ACT Government. It will remain in Commonwealth Park until its permanent Stage One home is constructed on the Event Terrace at the Arboretum, probably by 2013, the centenary year of the establishment of Canberra. In Stage Two, it will have a much larger facility, with spaces for more trees, education, library and display of bonsai paraphernalia dependent on the raising of private funds. Stage Two has been allocated a site near the visitor facilities when it is needed.] ("Who We Are," http://www.cbs.org.au/NBPCA/Who%20we%20are.htm, "Goals," http://www.cbs.org.au/NBPCA/Goals.htm.) |
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| 29 |
2004 -- Daniel Joseph Chiplis died of chronic lymphocytic leukemia at age 51 at his
home in Silver Springs, MD. (A native of Indianapolis, Dan's interest in bonsai began at age 17 when
he saw his first trees at Max Mendel's Bonsai Gardens on the southeast side of Indy. Recognizing the youth's
fascination, Max made his bonsai library available to Dan and taught him the principles
of bonsai art and culture. Later, while a horticulture student at Purdue University,
Dan and several student friends formed the Purdue Bonsai Club with Max as their teacher.
(Called the father of bonsai in Indiana, Max would pass away in the mid 1990’s.) Then came
forestry, orchard and arboretum work followed by graduate study in
horticulture at Ohio State University under plant physiologist Dr. Makoto Kawase. Dan
underwent bonsai training in Omiya, Japan, and also studied with bonsai masters
John Y. Naka
in California and
Yuji Yoshimura
in New York. Dan shared his expertise on bonsai as
a guest speaker at national and regional gatherings as well as in a column in BCI's
Bonsai
magazine called "Seasonal Reminders." He also taught a class called "Introductory Bonsai" at the
U.S. Department of Agriculture Graduate School.
He worked for the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. from 1984 to 1998, serving as assistant curator of the
National Bonsai and Penjing
Museum. In 1998, he transferred to the Smithsonian Institution, where until
his retirement last October he helped plan the landscaping of the grounds of the new
National Museum of the American
Indian. In recent years, Dan participated in and supported "Plunge for Patients,"
a fundraiser benefiting the Johns Hopkins Patient and Family Fund.)
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| 30 | 1988 -- The Chinese Penjing Collection at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. was dedicated and put on public display. It includes over thirty specimens by Dr. Yee-sun Wu, Mr. Shu-ying and others of Hong Kong which had been donated two years earlier. ( International Bonsai, 1989/No. 2, pg. 22) SEE ALSO: Mar 27, May 2 |
