Photographs of Panama Canal laborers and labor camps, 1906-1907
Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- Contains 12 photographs of laborers and labor camps at the Panama Canal.
- Extent:
- 0.79 Linear Feet (1 box)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Photographs of Panama Canal laborers and labor camps, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains 12 photographs depicting scenes of labor and life in the Panama Canal Zone including images of Italian and Spanish (identified as Gallegos) workers, workers using steam shovels and drills, and the Isthmian Canal Commission (I.C.C.) hotel and pay car. The photographs are captioned with locations and some dates.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Construction of the Panama Canal by the United States began in 1904 and the project was completed in 1914. France had tried to build the canal between 1881 and 1889 but halted the project due to disease and engineering difficulties. The canal, located at the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, connects the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchased from Michael Maslan Vintage Posters, Photographs, Postcards Ephemera, June 2024.
- Processing information:
-
Processed at the time of accessioning by Kahlee Leingang in July 2025.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Canal construction workers -- Panama
Canals -- Panama -- Design and construction
Excavating machinery
Foreign workers, Italian -- South America -- History
Foreign workers, Spanish -- Panama -- History -- 20th century
Photographs - Names:
- Isthmian Canal Commission (U.S.)
- Places:
- Panama Canal (Panama)
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.
- Terms of access:
-
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Photographs of Panama Canal laborers and labor camps, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2129