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COLLECTION Identifier: MS Span 183

José María Castañé collection of war-related photograph albums

Overview

Collection documents four major conflicts of the 20th century: the First World War; the Spanish Civil War; the Second World War; the Korean War.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1900-1970

Language of Materials

Materials are in English, French, German, Japanese, Polish, and Russian.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Extent

9 linear feet (85 photograph albums)

The photograph albums of this collection document four major conflicts of the 20th century: the First World War; the Spanish Civil War; the Second World War; the Korean War. In addition, a few highlight peacetime foreign relations and/or reconstruction efforts between former combatant nations. The great majority of the albums were compiled by German military personnel during the Second World War and focus on the "Blitzkrieg" period, circa 1939-1940, when Poland, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium were quickly invaded and occupied by Germany. "Operation Barbarossa", the opening of the eastern front in the Soviet Union in 1941, is also featured. Typical scenes include the following: combat; military personnel engaged in exercises and recreation; destroyed cities and towns; destroyed materiel; local populations; casualties; prisoners of war.

Biographical / Historical

José María Castañé is a Spanish businessman and patron of the arts. His collection of artifacts and documents relating to the major conflicts of the 20th century, of which the war-related photograph albums form one part, was compiled over some 25 years. A substantial portion of the Castañé Collection was donated to Harvard University's Houghton Library in 2015.

Arrangement

Arranged by original Castañé document number.

Physical Location

gen, f

Other Finding Aids

An inventory of the collection in Spanish, compiled by Castañé, is extant in both paper and electronic form. Please consult Houghton Library reference staff to access this material.

Custodial History

The albums in this collection were purchased by Castañé from various dealers between the years of 1996 and 2001.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

2014M-120. Gift of José María Castañé and the Fundación José María Castañé, 2015.

Processing Information

Processed by Michael Austin, 2017.

Processing Information

The photograph albums of this collection were part of a larger donation from Castañé. They were brought together and described by Houghton staff in this finding aid due to their common format.

Title
Castañé, José María, collector. José María Castañé collection of war-related photograph albums, circa 1920-1950 (MS Span 183): Guide.
Status
completed
Author
Michael Austin
Date
2017 September 18
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
und
EAD ID
hou02841

Repository Details

Part of the Houghton Library Repository

Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Houghton Library’s Reading Room is free and open to all who wish to use the library’s collections.

Contact:
Harvard Yard
Harvard University
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2440