New Bonsai History Home

[Robert J. Baran]

www.magiminiland.org is the new home for my 30 years' worth of research into and archiving of the history of bonsai and the related arts – what I've long called Magical Miniature Landscapes. I am still fine-tuning the transfer and cleaning up of old links. But you will find yourself amazed, entertained and even educated going through the most comprehensive source of information worldwide in any language or medium regarding our global gardening interest. Please visit and look around. Most search engines' general bonsai history links starting with www.phoenixbonsai.com/ will still work now using www.magiminiland.org/ .

Fear not, I am continuing my researches and adding in many more notes already gathered but not yet published on this site. And, again, I offer an open invitation to any and all clubs, artists, teachers, etc. to contact me with possible local additions to this archive. It is for us now and for all in the future who are interested in what we do/did. Thank-you, my friends.

 

[bonhe]

Hi Robert,
Thank you very much for your time and effort to create this wonderful source! I really like it! I will present this to my teacher, Mr. Richard Ota. I have been trying to collect the data of California bonsai history from my teacher for a while and I did not compile it yet. Again, I really appreciate your work.
Bonhe

 

[Robert J. Baran]

You are very welcome. What we -- bonsai enthusiasts as a whole -- need to do is to make more video interviews of our teachers: their backgrounds and first involvements with this hobby/art, early club involvement and shows, demonstrations and workshops, trips abroad they've made or visiting teachers they studied under, what they've had to unlearn technique-wise, how they see the local and regional presentations of bonsai change through the years, their favorite old trees with background stories, what they wish their students to especially remember, where they see their clubs and the interest going in the future. (And www.magiminiland.org would be more than happy to archive these and much more at no cost to you. Web space is very low-priced : let us use it.)

 

[PaulH]

A few additions to your teacher list from Northern California:

Sam Adina, Northern California bonsai artist and teacher, Sensei of Modesto Bonsai Club

Scott Chadd, Owner of Lotus Bonsai Nursery, bonsai instructor and current president of Golden State Bonsai Federation

Jim Gremel, Owner of Deer Meadow Bonsai, Teacher, Potter, and seller of bonsai wire and supplies.

Yuzo Maruyama, owner of Maruyama Bonsai Nursery and Bonsai teacher

George Yamasaki, Early bonsai artist and teacher in Northern California

 

[Chuah]

www.magiminiland.org is the new home for my 30 years' worth of research into and archiving of the history of bonsai and the related arts – what I've long called Magical Miniature Landscapes.

Your research is very impressive and I referred to it quite a lot. Always wondered how you could come up with all those historical information. Thanks for the wonderful site.

 

[Robert J. Baran]

Please also see http://www.magiminiland.org/BigPicture/Creative.html for updated info on how the site/info has developed.