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Rare photos of Spanish-American war were ‘simply waiting to be re-discovered’

Daily Mail  Online  May 10, 2014

Rare pictures of the U.S. Navy taken during the Spanish-American war have been unearthed after being found hidden away in storage by military archivists.

They were only brought to light again when the photo archive team was preparing for a major renovation and archivists Dave Colamaria and Jon Roscoe stumbled across the pictures.

Lisa Crunk, head of the photo archives branch at the Naval History and Heritage Command, said: ‘The plates were individually wrapped in tissue paper and include full captions and dates, which were likely prepared by the photographer, Douglas White.

´Research on Mr White discovered that he was a special war correspondent of the San Francisco Examiner during the Philippines War.

‘Once it was realised what we had uncovered, there was tremendous excitement amongst the staff, especially the historians.

‘The images are an amazing find, though they were never really lost – they were simply waiting to be rediscovered.’

Plans are now in place for the entire collection to be re-housed into new archival enclosures and shelving units.

 

The USS Raleigh in action in 1898. The cruiser took part in the Battle of Manila Bay/Cavite on May 1, 1898

Another U.S. Navy vessel to be involved in the conflict was the USS Boston, pictured here in 1898. It was also involved in the Battle of Manila

The USS Petrel was also part of the fleet, which took part in the war. The vessel, pictured here in 1898, is described as a gun boat

An image of the wreck of the Spanish armed transporter Cebu, taken sometime after a battle

The Spanish cruiser, the Castilla, was lost in the Battle of Manila Bay with 25 men killed and 80 wounded

This image of the Spanish Fleet in the Suez Canal was one of many uncovered in storage at the Naval History and Heritage Command

Apprentice boys pictured aboard the USS Olympia, the flagship of the Asiatic Squadron

American sailors pictured during the Spanish-American war. They are Dave Ireland, Purdy, Tom Griffin and John King

Captain Dennis Geary of the California Heavy Artillery rides his horse through Cavite in the Philippines

The crew of the Spanish cruiser Reina Cristina in prayer before battle on April 24, 1898