Spanish-American War Photographs

The photographs that comprise this collection were taken by American troops. The physical settings range from Tampa, Fla. to the south of Cuba with some in camp at Montauk, N.Y. Although the photographs are unsigned, internal evidence suggests the photographers were E.M. Bane and J.C. Wheate. Many of the images are of areas of Cuba where their unit, the Corps of Engineers, encamped and fought battles. The collection also includes portraits of General Ludlow and his staff in the field. The images are particularly focused on the campaign to take Santiago. The photos, probably taken after the capture of the city by American forces, show various Spanish defenses: trench works protecting Santiago and the hulk of Reina Mercedes, sunk to form an obstacle to American naval forces in the bay. There are typed captions on the front of the photos with additional information on the back. Each image is numbered by the creator, however the photos seem to have been organized in two series, and the numbers overlap.