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A.S. Arnold's Photo Album and Diary of a Trip to Jamaica

 Collection
Identifier: MS Group 272

Scope and Content

Three New York doctors, S.F. Jones, S. Van Ingen, and A.S. Arnold, travelled to Jamaica in January 1904 aboard the United Fruit Company steamship "Beverly" from Philadelphia to Port Antonio. A.S. Arnold assembled this photo album and travel diary of their trip, which took place between January 11 and January 28, 1904. The three travelers adopted names for the trip: Jones was called Brother Streptococcus, Ingen was called Brother Alopecia, and Arnold was called Brother Seborrhea. These names are used throughout the album, and "Brother Seborrhea" is embossed on the front cover.

The photographs in the album are accompanied by hand-written diary entries documenting the travelers' activities and observations while aboard the ship and in Jamaica. The album was assembled in chronological order and most of the entries are dated. A few of the early pages show the voyage on the Beverly, but the majority of the photos show street scenes in Port Antonio and Kingston, including marketplaces, buildings, and people. Other subjects represented in the photos are: St. Jago de la Vega, St. Margaret's Bay, fishermen, school children, the countryside, and a banana plantation. The diary entries are lengthy and rich with detail and commentary. Some of the entries reveal the travelers' negative attitudes towards the Black citizens of Jamaica, particularly in Kingston.

Dates

  • Creation: 1904

Creator

Access

The collection is open for research.

Extent

1 Linear feet (1 album)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Photo album and travel diary documenting a 1904 trip to Jamaica taken by three New York doctors.

Physical Location

University of Florida Smathers Library Building

Acquisition Information

Purchased in 2002.

Alternate Form of Material

Digital reproductions for this album 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.

Genre / Form

Geographic

Topical

Title
A Guide to the A.S. Arnold's Photo Album and Diary of a Trip to Jamaica
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid created by John R. Nemmers
Date
June 2010
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

Contact:
George A. Smathers Libraries
PO Box 117005
Gainesville Florida 32611-7005 United States of America
352-273-2755