{"id":93091,"date":"2026-05-31T06:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T10:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/?p=93091"},"modified":"2026-05-24T11:07:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T15:07:49","slug":"history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/lifestyle\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\/","title":{"rendered":"<strong>History Feature:<\/strong> Reframing the Past ~ George Masa\u2019s Story Comes Into Focus"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_93093\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-93093\" class=\"size-full wp-image-93093\" src=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-01-George-Masa-Photo-Great-Smoky-Mountains-National-Park-Appalachian-Trail-Conservancy-Records-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"974\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-01-George-Masa-Photo-Great-Smoky-Mountains-National-Park-Appalachian-Trail-Conservancy-Records-copy-2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-01-George-Masa-Photo-Great-Smoky-Mountains-National-Park-Appalachian-Trail-Conservancy-Records-copy-2-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-01-George-Masa-Photo-Great-Smoky-Mountains-National-Park-Appalachian-Trail-Conservancy-Records-copy-2-1024x831.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-01-George-Masa-Photo-Great-Smoky-Mountains-National-Park-Appalachian-Trail-Conservancy-Records-copy-2-768x623.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-01-George-Masa-Photo-Great-Smoky-Mountains-National-Park-Appalachian-Trail-Conservancy-Records-copy-2-810x657.jpg 810w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-01-George-Masa-Photo-Great-Smoky-Mountains-National-Park-Appalachian-Trail-Conservancy-Records-copy-2-1140x925.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-93093\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Photo courtesy of Appalachian Trail Conservancy records, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>By Lauren Stepp<\/p>\n<p>A century ago, the mountains of Western North Carolina were still being introduced to the wider world. George Masa was one of the people who helped make that introduction.<\/p>\n<p>Born in Japan, Masa came to the US in the early 1900s, spending time in the Pacific Northwest before eventually making his way east. In Asheville, he worked at the Grove Park Inn before building a photography business and embedding himself in the region\u2019s social and civic life.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_93095\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-93095\" class=\"wp-image-93095\" src=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-03-George-Masa-Shining-Rock-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-03-George-Masa-Shining-Rock-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-03-George-Masa-Shining-Rock-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2-210x300.jpg 210w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-03-George-Masa-Shining-Rock-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2-717x1024.jpg 717w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-03-George-Masa-Shining-Rock-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2-768x1097.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-03-George-Masa-Shining-Rock-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2-1075x1536.jpg 1075w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-03-George-Masa-Shining-Rock-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2-810x1157.jpg 810w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-93095\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">George Masa on Shining Rock. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Masa soon became known for his striking photographs of the southern Appalachians\u2014images that captured both the scale and spirit of the landscape at a time when conservation efforts were gaining momentum. He hiked deep into the mountains carrying heavy equipment, documenting places many people had never seen firsthand. His work helped build support for what would become the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Trail, and he became a respected figure among hikers, writers and local leaders.<\/p>\n<p>What has remained less clear is the story of the man behind the camera. \u201cFor a long time, there were just a whole lot of unknowns about Masa,\u201d says Asheville-based filmmaker Paul Bonesteel.<\/p>\n<p>Bonesteel has spent more than two decades trying to better understand Masa\u2019s life. He first began researching the photographer around 2000 while gathering material for an earlier documentary, The Mystery of George Masa. That project raised as many questions as it answered, and the story stayed with him. Years later, while working on a book with coauthor Janet McCue, Bonesteel returned to the research with renewed urgency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were able to uncover new chapters in Masa\u2019s life\u2014things we really didn\u2019t know before,\u201d says Bonesteel. Those discoveries are at the center of Bonesteel\u2019s latest documentary, <em>A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story<\/em>. Released this spring, the film draws on decades of archival work, including newly uncovered handwritten letters and expanded material that help fill in long-standing gaps.<\/p>\n<p>Among the most significant breakthroughs were revelations about Masa\u2019s early life in Japan, his time in the Pacific Northwest and the experiences that led him to Asheville. They offer a more complete picture of a man who was not only an artist but someone who deliberately reinvented himself, leaving parts of his past behind while forging a new identity in America.<\/p>\n<p>The film also reframes Masa\u2019s legacy, highlighting his contributions to conservation and the challenges he faced, including racial hostility and the ways his identity may have complicated how his story was recorded and remembered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe live in such a beautiful place, and it\u2019s a huge responsibility for all of us to do our best to look after it,\u201d says Bonesteel. \u201cStories like Masa\u2019s are inspirational and instructive\u2014they show why that responsibility matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story<em> is available to stream on the PBS app. Learn more at <a href=\"http:\/\/GeorgeMasa.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GeorgeMasa.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A century ago, the mountains of Western North Carolina were still being introduced to the wider world. George Masa was one of the people who helped make that introduction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":93094,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[94,57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heritage","category-lifestyle"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>History Feature: Reframing the Past ~ George Masa\u2019s Story Comes Into Focus - The Laurel of Asheville<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A century ago, the mountains of Western North Carolina were still being introduced to the wider world. 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George Masa was one of the people who helped make that introduction.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/lifestyle\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Laurel of Asheville\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thelaurelofasheville\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-31T10:00:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-Masa-Documentary-02-George-Masa-Photo-Looking-Glass-Falls-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2-e1779635222469.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1086\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"624\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Amy Pryor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AshevilleLaurel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AshevilleLaurel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Amy Pryor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/lifestyle\\\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/lifestyle\\\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Amy Pryor\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13d76582350fe4093b37d2b69174af00\"},\"headline\":\"History Feature: Reframing the Past ~ George Masa\u2019s Story Comes Into Focus\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-31T10:00:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/lifestyle\\\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":544,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/lifestyle\\\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/History-Masa-Documentary-02-George-Masa-Photo-Looking-Glass-Falls-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2-e1779635222469.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Heritage\\\/History\",\"Lifestyle\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/lifestyle\\\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/lifestyle\\\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/lifestyle\\\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\\\/\",\"name\":\"History Feature: Reframing the Past ~ George Masa\u2019s Story Comes Into Focus - The Laurel of Asheville\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/lifestyle\\\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/lifestyle\\\/history-feature-reframing-the-past-george-masas-story-comes-into-focus\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/History-Masa-Documentary-02-George-Masa-Photo-Looking-Glass-Falls-Buncombe-County-Special-Collections-Pack-Memorial-Library-Asheville-North-Carolina-copy-2-e1779635222469.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-31T10:00:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13d76582350fe4093b37d2b69174af00\"},\"description\":\"A century ago, the mountains of Western North Carolina were still being introduced to the wider world. 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