Visual Materials

Collection of Philippine hemp fiber industry photographs

Description: After the Philippines became a colony of the United States in 1898, Manila hemp became the nation's most important export item, making up 72% of the nation's total export value. The material was widely used for making rope, twine, paper, bags, shoes, hats, dresses, and other everyday commodities. The collection includes 36 loose photographs. These include images of Filipino workers cultivating, transporting, and processing fibers from hemp plants. Also included are photographs of Filipino and presumably, American workers operating and posing with hemp processing machinery. Other photographs include industrial machines for breaking and spinning fibers, ships for transporting, Henequen plants and Manila trees, Manila hemp fibers hung for drying, Manila hemp seeds, and an image of a native Philippine shelter.
Type: Visual Materials(Opens in new tab)
Date: approximately 1900
Call number: photCL 693

Collection of Philippine hemp fiber industry photographs

Visual Materials

After the Philippines became a colony of the United States in 1898, Manila hemp became the nation's most important export item, making up 72% of the nation's total export value. The material was widely used for making rope, twine, paper, bags, shoes, hats, dresses, and other everyday commodities. The collection includes 36 loose photographs. These include images of Filipino workers cultivating, transporting, and processing fibers from hemp plants. Also included are photographs of Filipino and presumably, American workers operating and posing with hemp processing machinery. Other photographs include industrial machines for breaking and spinning fibers, ships for transporting, Henequen plants and Manila trees, Manila hemp fibers hung for drying, Manila hemp seeds, and an image of a native Philippine shelter.

photCL 693

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Cartes-de-visite by early commercial photographers in the Philippines

Visual Materials

A group of 10 carte-de-visite portraits taken in the1860s and 1870s in photography studios in Manila, Philippines. The unidentified sitters are Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish men, women and children, mostly in individual portraits, with one image of three Indigenous men posed with spears. Six images are credited to Pedro Picon (one dated 1867); the others have imprints for Fotografia Universal Manila, Honiss Fotografo Manila, H. Schuren, and W. W. Wood. These cartes-de-visite illustrate the early activities of commercial photography studios in the Philippines.

photCL 721

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Cartes-de-visite by early commercial photographers in the Philippines

Visual Materials

photCL 721

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Dorothy O'Dell Philippines photograph album

Visual Materials

This album contains photographs compiled by Dorothy O'Dell, who resided in the Cavite province of the Philippines during her husband's service in the U.S. Navy. The images depict the couple's travel in England, India, Jerusalem, Panama, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, capturing specific sites such as Mount Ebal, the "Gateway to Ancient Shechem," Sebastia (Palestine), the "Ancient Castle Thunton" (Taunton Castle, England), Windsor Castle (England), Edinburgh Castle (Scotland), Heidelberg Castle (Germany), the "Hindu Temple" (Meenakshi Amman Temple) and the "Lake Temple" (Vandiyur Mariamman Temple) in Madurai, India. The photographs also document their residence in O'ahu, Hawai'i and Dorothy's evacuation from the Philippines and return to the United States via the S.S. Washington to San Francisco, California. However, many of the images capture Philippine landmarks in Manila, some of which were later damaged or destroyed by the Japanese in World War II. These landmarks include the Jai Alai Building, Puerta de Parián, and Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje cathedral in Antipolo. There are also photographs of the Chinese Yu Tan and Paco cemeteries in Manila, the Taal Volcano, images of Igorot dancers in ceremonial dress performing for Navy personnel, an Igorot person in traditional clothing in Northern Luzon, Filipino funeral processions, street scenes capturing Filipino citizens in their daily activities, livestock, and the O'Dell home on "Radio Road" or Salamanca Drive.The depictions of daily life in pre-war Philippines in and around the naval base are described through written notes by Dorothy on the album pages. Two cabinet card portraits produced by the B.D. Garduno Studio are also included in the album along with photographs of American naval ships and military personnel. The leather album cover is embossed with two Chinese dragons with an emblazoned sphere between them and a Chinese Junk ship below. A few of the album pages appear to have missing photographs.

photCL 746

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Philippine American War photograph albums

Visual Materials

Four photograph albums containing a total of 218 images (chiefly 4.5 x 6.5 inches) of the Philippine American War, taken by an unidentified photographer most likely associated with the 19th U.S. infantry stationed in Cebu, Philippines. Primarily in Cebu with some in San Nicolas and elsewhere, the images document Filipino life and culture as well as U.S. soldiers in military activities and recreation. Three photographs depict the refueling of a hospital ship in Hong Kong, and there are also images of the recruitment of Indigenous soldiers in Puerto Rico, and rare views of the surrenders of Filipino generals Mateo Noriel Luga and Aguedo del Rosario. The photographs are captioned and numbered continuously throughout the four albums. The first album, images 1 to 54, contains mostly detailed panoramas (3.5 x 12 inches) of Cebu and its port, plaza, and bay. The second album, images 55 to 109, contains a range of subjects including the 19th Infantry band baseball team, Filipino homes and families, elaborate Holy Day celebrations in San Nicolas, and several photographs of insurgents and their surrenders. The third album, images 111 to 165, includes church interiors, street and market scenes, and a family identified as "Spaniard and Filipino Mixed Family." The fourth album, images 166 to 218, includes several scenes from the 19th Infantry's training in Michigan, prior to their arrival in the Philippines; interior shots of Colonel Edward J. McClernand's home; a church procession in the streets of Cebu; and the deportation of prisoners to Guam. Some writing in the album reflects racist views toward Filipino and Chinese people.

photCL 712

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Photograph album of the Philippines during the Spanish American War

Visual Materials

An album with 114 professional photographs, with handwritten captions, taken during the Spanish American War, mostly in the Philippines, including graphic scenes of trench warfare, battlefield dead and wounded, prisoners, and the burning of towns and dwellings. Among the locations in the Philippines shown are Manila, Caloocan, Pasig River, and the Pasay road. Photographs taken outside of the Philippines show Japan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and the Golden Gate, California. Other photographs show troop encampments, scenes of village or town life, and war ruins. There are views of officers' and enlisted men's quarters, and facilities for support staff such as cooks, the Signal Corps, and the Red Cross. There are a few street scenes with Filipino men in Western clothing, women, and children. Photographs of people include Admiral George Dewey, captioned "Admiral Dewey's last day in Manila, paying the coachman"; General Frederick Funston; and Brigadier General Harrison Gray Otis. Many of the photographs have the imprint of Perley Fremont Rockett, the official photographer of the 20th Kansas Regiment. There are also 11 (5 x 9 cm) photographs of American and Spanish ships, which seem to have been cut out from an unknown source.

photCL 122

Collection of Philippine hemp fiber industry photographs

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Collection of Philippine hemp fiber industry photographs

Cartes-de-visite by early commercial photographers in the Philippines

Cartes-de-visite by early commercial photographers in the Philippines

Dorothy O'Dell Philippines photograph album

Philippine American War photograph albums

Photograph album of the Philippines during the Spanish American War