Spanish-American and Philippine-American War Visual Culture in 1898–1899 Stereoscopic Photographs

Spanish-American War Photography

Archive

Spanish-American War and Philippine-American War photo archive, group of 16 stereoscopic prints produced 1898–1899, documenting United States military campaigns and imperial expansion in Cuba and the Philippines. The material captures battlefield actions, troop mobilization, and the transition from war with Spain to conflict with Filipino forces, providing visual evidence of how military operations and their participants were represented to contemporary audiences. These images record both organized combat and its aftermath, including American volunteer units, Cuban insurgents, and Filipino resistance fighters, offering insight into the multinational and transitional nature of the պատերազմ at the turn of the twentieth century.

Sixteen albumen stereoscopic prints mounted on beige card stock, each approximately 3.5 x 7 inches, issued by publishers Strohmeyer and Wyman and Underwood and Underwood. The archive includes views of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry (“Rough Riders”), with scenes such as “Hill charged and taken by the ‘Rough Riders,’ San Juan, Cuba,” depicting soldiers advancing uphill in formation, and “Troop H, Captain Curry ‘Rough Riders’,” showing mounted troops assembled with visible uniforms and equipment. Additional images document mobilization and infrastructure, including “U.S. Infantry on the March, near Camp Tampa, Florida” and “Dock at Tampa on the Day of Sailing for Santiago de Cuba,” with soldiers, transport areas, and staging activity. Cuban participation appears in “Cubans in their Trenches Awaiting the Spaniards, Pinar del Río,” showing armed insurgents positioned defensively. The destruction of the USS Maine is represented in “Near View of the ‘Maine’ Wreck… Havana Harbor,” with visible structural damage. Philippine conflict is depicted in images such as “Washington Volunteers advancing… Filipino trenches in front” and “Behind the Filipino Trenches after the Battle of Malabon,” including views of fallen soldiers and battlefield terrain. Additional views include U.S. Marines at Mare Island Navy Yard, illustrating domestic military preparation.

Produced at a moment when stereoscopic imagery served as a primary medium for visualizing distant যুদ্ধ, these prints demonstrate how conflict was presented to the American public through immersive, three-dimensional formats. The archive shows the construction of military narratives that emphasized organization, movement, and engagement while also preserving details of landscape, equipment, and human presence across multiple theaters. The inclusion of Cuban and Filipino subjects situates the material within broader histories of colonial transition and resistance following Spanish rule. The collection supports research into military history, visual media, and the representation of U.S. imperial expansion at the end of the nineteenth century. Light toning to mounts, minor edge wear, and scattered surface wear; images remain sharp with strong contrast; overall very good condition. A cohesive visual record of two interconnected conflicts marking the emergence of the United States as an overseas power.

Item #22690

Price: $785.00