Where are they now???

PaulH

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The John Naka collection thread and the CBS auction of the Ben Oki juniper has got me wondering. What has become of all of the really great bonsai, especially California junipers From the early years ?
I know of some of my favorites such as Goshin in the National arboretum and the Mas imazumi black pine and Harry's juniper at Lake Merritt but there are many more that I wonder about. Ernie Kuo had some amazing trees that I haven't seen in years for example.
I think it would be really nice to see current photos along with photos from the old days.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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The third version of Goshin, Goshin III by Naka is currently in the Huntington Garden collection.
Goshin I is in the National Arb, as are 2 or 3 others by Naka.

When a tree changes hands, it is normal for the new owner to call the tree their own, especially once they restyle it, change a front, or otherwise put artistic input into the tree. Many of the earlier works of the artists mentioned may still be around, but know by their current owner's name, and not thought of as being a product of the original artist to touch the tree.. Many of the Naka trees still around are on their 3rd to 5th owner post Naka. Current owners might not know who the first artist was to work their tree.

So this quest, while a nice thought, will never get more than a small sample of the trees of the artists listed, because all these artists were not famous their whole careers, most of their early work will be "lost" if it is still around. Nobody takes great pride in collecting trees by Leo Schordje, my trees are just not that good. And if someone does make something great, out of one of my trees, they certainly should not give me credit, because it wasn't "great" when I sold it.

I have a tree from Jack Douthitt, a nice hinoki. But I have changed its pot, and changed the front and removed more than half the branches it originally had. When I was talking to someone about "Jack's tree", they reminded me that it isn't his anymore, and that it doesn't look like his tree. Now Jack is a local bonsai hero, he has one tree donated to the National Collection and he has one tree in the Pacific Rim Collection (Weyerhaeuser Collection at the time). He is moderately famous, yet the locals insist I don't call my Hinoki "Jack's tree".

So while an interesting thread, much of the material started and sold by famous artists will be "lost" because the fact of who they were was just not important until long after they left the scene.
 

Adair M

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The third version of Goshin, Goshin III by Naka is currently in the Huntington Garden collection.
Goshin I is in the National Arb, as are 2 or 3 others by Naka.

When a tree changes hands, it is normal for the new owner to call the tree their own, especially once they restyle it, change a front, or otherwise put artistic input into the tree. Many of the earlier works of the artists mentioned may still be around, but know by their current owner's name, and not thought of as being a product of the original artist to touch the tree.. Many of the Naka trees still around are on their 3rd to 5th owner post Naka. Current owners might not know who the first artist was to work their tree.

So this quest, while a nice thought, will never get more than a small sample of the trees of the artists listed, because all these artists were not famous their whole careers, most of their early work will be "lost" if it is still around. Nobody takes great pride in collecting trees by Leo Schordje, my trees are just not that good. And if someone does make something great, out of one of my trees, they certainly should not give me credit, because it wasn't "great" when I sold it.

I have a tree from Jack Douthitt, a nice hinoki. But I have changed its pot, and changed the front and removed more than half the branches it originally had. When I was talking to someone about "Jack's tree", they reminded me that it isn't his anymore, and that it doesn't look like his tree. Now Jack is a local bonsai hero, he has one tree donated to the National Collection and he has one tree in the Pacific Rim Collection (Weyerhaeuser Collection at the time). He is moderately famous, yet the locals insist I don't call my Hinoki "Jack's tree".

So while an interesting thread, much of the material started and sold by famous artists will be "lost" because the fact of who they were was just not important until long after they left the scene.
Lol!!!

I have a Japanese White Pine i call my “Peter Tea Tree”. When I bought it, it had been recently styled by Peter Tea. And I potted it in an antique Chinese Pot I purchased from Peter right after he returned to the US after his apprenticeship ended. The apex died, Peter broke it when he wired it, his cut paste was all over it, so about a year later, I removed the wire, changed the front, changed the pitting angle, and completely restyled it, creating a new apex in the process. The only thing that’s the same is the pot.

I still call it my “Peter Tea” tree. Even though it’s completely changed.
 
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