American Occupation Era Puerto Rico Photo Archive, Documenting 1928 hurricane devastation, and colonial era life. 1910s-1920s

Caribbean Puerto Rico

Photograph

Puerto Rico during the early 20th century photo archive including the 1928 hurricane, and colonial era life. Archive contains 3 silver gelatin photos, with 2 photos being on one sheet. Each measure 8.5" x 11" to 5" x 9". One press photograph features two stacked photojournalistic images showing scenes of destruction in San Juan following the catastrophic hurricane of September 13, 1928, one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit the island. The other photograph, likely taken in the late 1910s, is a mounted studio or missionary-style image depicting a white man standing in front of a long, arched tenement-style structure, surrounded by dozens of Puerto Rican women, men, and children, many of the children barefoot and wearing minimal or tattered clothing. The larger image appears staged or observational and likely documents poverty in the aftermath of the U.S. acquisition of Puerto Rico following the Spanish-American War. The 1928 hurricane, later named the San Felipe Segundo hurricane, made landfall as a Category 5 storm, killing over 300 people and rendering tens of thousands homeless. The press release photo captures the stark aftermath: corrugated roofs torn from buildings, telephone poles shattered, and citizens—both children and laborers—wandering through the wreckage-strewn streets of San Juan. These images reflect not only the physical devastation of the hurricane but also the lack of infrastructural resilience in a colony still reeling from U.S. economic control, widespread poverty, and racialized neglect by the mainland. The second image provides an unvarnished glimpse into the social realities of Puerto Rican life under U.S. rule during the 1910s. After the Foraker Act of 1900 and the Jones Act of 1917, which made Puerto Ricans U.S. citizens without granting them full constitutional rights, the island experienced increasing political disenfranchisement and economic dependency. The presence of the white man—possibly a government official, missionary, or educator—visually underscores the racial and colonial dynamics at play. The surrounding community members, including many children without shoes or shirts, reflect systemic inequality and the enduring impacts of U.S. colonial policy on public health, housing, and education. Some edge wear, tape on margins of smaller image, and original editor's markings en verso to press photo. Overall very good condition.

Item #21918

Price: $450.00