Photographs Showing the Destruction in St. Pierre from the 1902 Mt. Pelée Volcanic Eruption
Scope and Content
These photographs show the devastation caused by the Mount Pelée eruption on May 8th 1902, which killed approximately 30,000 people, fifteen percent of Martinique's population at the time. The collection contains images of the rebuilding efforts that occurred after the eruption. Twenty photographs show buildings, streets and views of St. Pierre, several of which show cadavers in the debris. Three large images show a general view of the region and the evolution of the landscape from May to October 1902. Three large photographs show the destruction of the interior and exterior of the cathedral. Also interesting are "before and after" images of the cemetery. Eight photographs show Fort de France and the arrival of numerous disaster refugees. Another photograph shows reconstruction work after a fire. Also included are two images of Spanish boats, likely returning from the Spanish-American war in Cuba.
Dates
- Creation: 1902
Access
The collection is open for research.
Biographical/Historical Note
The Mt. Pelée main volcanic eruption in Martinique occurred on May 8, 1902 and is considered one of the worst volcanic catastrophe of the twentieth century. The eruption caused the death of approximately 30,000 people, and damaged the city of St. Pierre, located in the northwestern region of the island. The volcano is currently non active.
Extent
.01 Linear feet (1 Folder)
Language of Materials
French
Abstract
A collection of 28 images showing the aftermath and damages in St. Pierre, Martinique caused by the 1902 volcanic eruption of Mt. Pelée.
Arrangement
The photos are arranged according to the album's original order.
Physical Location
University of Florida Smathers Library Building
Alternate Form of Finding Aid
This guide is available in Spanish at https://www.uflib.ufl.edu/findingaids/Spanish/mss0421.pdf.
Acquisition Information
Purchased in 2018.
Alternative Format Available
Digital reproductions of selected items in the collection are available online via the University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC). Please read the Permissions for Use statement for information on copyright, fair use, and use of UFDC digital objects.
Processing Notes
The collection was originally mounted in an album. Due to conservation concerns (the photographs are not stable); they were digitized. Afterwards, the photographs were dismounted from the album. The photographs are now housed in a mylar sleeve that includes the caption assigned to each of them in the album. The captions are also visible in the digital surrogate.
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- A Guide to the Photographs Showing the Destruction in St. Pierre from the 1902 Mt. Pelée Volcanic Eruption
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid created by Katiana M. Bagué
- Date
- April 2018
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Prepared Using Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida Repository
George A. Smathers Libraries
PO Box 117005
Gainesville Florida 32611-7005 United States of America
352-273-2755
special@uflib.ufl.edu