WWII U.S. Navy Sailors in Cienfuegos, Cuba
Photo Archive
[Cuba] [U.S. Navy] American Sailors in Cienfuegos, Cuba photo archive, 1940s. 26 silver gelatin photographs mounted to 6 album leaves, documenting U.S. naval presence and social interaction with local civilians in Cuba during World War II. Each measure approximately 3.5" x 2.5", some of the loose album leaves have hand written inscriptions. A vivid and unusually intimate photographic archive of U.S. sailors stationed in Cienfuegos, Cuba during World War II. These images reflect both the informal leisure of enlisted Navy men and the broader geopolitical significance of Cuba as a strategic U.S. military outpost during the war. Nearly all photos bear handwritten captions in white ink directly on the album pages, identifying scenes with place names such as “Cienfuegos Cuba,” “Cienfuegos Residence Cuba,” “Playa Cienfuegos Cuba,” “at sea,” and “lighting land,” alongside labels such as “Maids” for posed portraits with local Cuban women and children.The sailors are shown in uniform at leisure on sailboats, sitting in public parks, reclining on the grass, and mingling with locals. Several photographs show one of the men accompanied by Cuban women and young children in white dresses, suggestive of some cross-cultural camaraderie. Other photographs depict the striking domestic architecture of upper class Cienfuegos residences, including ornate Moorish Revival villas, providing a glimpse of the Cuban elite’s architectural aesthetics before the Revolution. One sailor is repeatedly shown on the bow of a small vessel marked “L-17,” while other images show a breakwater, distant coastline, and possible coastal patrol activity. The U.S. Navy maintained a strategic and sustained presence in Cuba throughout the 20th century, most notably at Guantánamo Bay, but also via rotating port calls at Havana and Cienfuegos. During World War II, Cuba’s location was vital to controlling Caribbean shipping lanes, monitoring Axis submarine movement, and maintaining hemispheric defense. These snapshots capture the more personal, human dimension of this military occupation of an off-duty sailor’s life of tropical downtime, flirtation, and soft-power influence in a politically dependent Caribbean ally. Some minor corner wear where mounted under photo corners. Overall very good condition. An uncommon vernacular photo archive showing U.S. naval life and cross-cultural encounter in Cuba during a pivotal moment in hemispheric military history.
Item #22477
Price: $550.00
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