Photographs made and collected by Charles Edward Doty during his time stationed in Cuba (1899-1902) and the Philippines (1904-1906). Some of the Cuban photographs are marked by the Engineer's Department, with which Doty was employed, and some may relate to his official activities. The bulk of the photographs document the city of Havana as well as the harbor and ships (including wreckage of the USS Maine), American military personnel and installations, Spanish forts, a garotting machine and demonstration of its use, and the inauguration of President Tomas Estrada Palma. There are also images of reconcentradoes, farm families, and people involved in transportation, industry, and commerce. Most of the photographs were taken by Doty, but a few were obtained from other photographers, including a Mr. Miles and Gomez de la Carreros.
Doty's photographs made in the Philippines document the old walls and gates of Manila, churches, Bilibid prison, and Fort Santiago. There are also some portraits of Filipino people.
Biographical/Historical note:
Charles Edward Doty (1862-1921) was born in Ohio and began his career as a portrait photographer in Hamilton. He joined Company C of the 2nd US Volunteer Engineers as the company's photographer and traveled to Cuba with the unit. Following the Spanish-American War, Doty was a civilian employee posted with the Engineers Department, Division (later Department) of Havana, Military Government of Cuba. As the "official photographer of the United States government in Havana," his duties included documenting the modernization of Cuba under American governorship. Though Doty's work was interrupted by the termination of military govenrment in 1902, he returned during renewed American control in 1907-1908. In 1904, Doty entered the Philippine civil service, where he worked as a photoengraver for the Bureau of Printing. Aside from a break in 1907-1908, he remained in the Philippines until 1920, when illness forced his return to the United States.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot 73-26A
Location of Other Archival Materials:
Additional Doty photographs are held in National Anthropological Archies Photo Lot 97, Photo Lot 8, Photo Lot 87-20, and in the Herbert William Krieger Papers.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.