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.
Source
- Castañé, José María (Person)
- 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.
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