Spanish American War Pictures

The Philippines are an island chain that it seems keeps calling out to me from the past.  My grandfather was there, twice, while in the US ARMY.  My husband’s great grandfather was there, with his brother, during the Spanish American War as well.  It seems that my children’s connections to the history and fate of this Island just grows with every search.

Which is why I was stunned into silent screaming when the reports came out this last week on an amazing find at the Naval History andHeritage Command (NHHC).  The NHHC is currently undergoing renovations to its buildings at the Washington Navy Yard and in their cleaning/reorganizing the team unearthed a wooden box.  Inside this box were original glass plate photos taken by war correspondent Douglas White, who worked for the San Francisco Examiner, during the Spanish American War.  The images were taken around Manila and focus on the US Navy that was there at the time.

Can you imagine opening that crate?  I bet the air was sucked right out of the room when everyone gasped. 

You can read more about the discovery from the Navy on their website.  

American troops boarding transport steamer,
Spanish-American war.  From the Library of Congress