United States Army Corps of Engineers photographs of Spanish fortifications around Havana, Cuba
Overview
Photographs, taken by the US Army Corps of Engineers, of fortifications built by the Spanish around the area of Havana, Cuba.
Dates
- Creation: 1899-1900
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to most of the collection material. The photographs in item (88), rolled panorama photographs, are extremely fragile and require instructions for use. Access requires permission of curator.
Extent
1.5 linear feet (2 boxes)Photographs of Spanish colonial fortifications around Havana, Cuba including earthworks and buildings, such as barbed wire entanglements, batteries, block houses, pontoon bridges, redoubts, roads, standing trenches, and many other images. Photographs were accompanied by a map of Cuba (not present at time of cataloging) and were supposed to be keyed to this map. Collection also includes a letter from Charles Moore (AB 1878) to Mr. Kiernan at the Harvard College Library.
Black and white photographs, sized 12.5 x 18 cm. All are undated except one which is May 1899. Most photographs are stamped: "ENG DEP'T D of H." Some include text: "Spanish earthworks" and/or "Havana defenses." Some photographs pasted together to form panorama views. Each group of photographs was enclosed in an envelope listing name/description of image and negative number. Each envelope was annotated: "Position on Map by marginal cross-index." These groupings were retained during cataloging, as was the order within each group.
Biographical / Historical
After the Spanish-American war, during the US occupation of Cuba, Colonel William Murray Black was made the Chief Engineer of the Department of Havana on General William Ludlow’s staff for the Corps of Engineers (on January 2, 1899). In this position, he organized a new Department of Public Works and established sanitary conditions in the city of Havana. Upon the arrival of General Leonard Wood, Black became Chief Engineer of the Island of Cuba. He wrote a code of regulations for the conduct of Public Works, which remained in force until they were incorporated into the laws of the new Cuban Republic. His establishment of public mapping, construction of sewers, paving of streets, construction of wharves, and the protection of the ocean-front established Havana as a viable seaport. [Source: www.spanamwar.com].
These photographs of the Spanish defenses were probably taken after the Spanish-American War (1898 April-August), prior to beginning the public works projects.
Arrangement
Arranged into the following series:
- I. Loose photographs and other material
- II. Rolled panorama photographs
Immediate Source of Acquisition
2009M-102. Gift of Charles Moore, of Detroit, Michigan and Harwich Port, Massachusetts; received: 1900 September 3. Recataloged from SA 1740.9*.
Provenance:
These photographs were sent to Charles Moore by Colonel William Murray Black, then sent as a gift to the Harvard College Library by Moore (see Moore's letter, item (86) ).
Processing Information
Processed by: Bonnie B. Salt
- Title
- United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. United States Army Corps of Engineers photographs of Spanish fortifications around Havana, Cuba, circa 1899-1900: Guide.
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou02130
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
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