Photographs of laborers at Culebra Cut during Panama Canal construction, approximately 1905-1910

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Summary

Abstract:
Contains 11 photographs depicting scenes of labor and life by the Culebra Cut during the construction of the Panama Canal.
Extent:
0.79 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Photographs of laborers at Culebra Cut during Panama Canal construction, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains 11 photographs with captions depicting scenes of labor and life by the Culebra Cut including images of a train dumping earth from the Cut, workers using steam drills and other tools, a labor camp near the Cut, a busy street on pay day, and a view north from the Cut.

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.

The Culebra Cut, formerly known as the Gaillard Cut, is an artificial valley across the Continental Divide that links Gatun Lake to the Gulf of Panama. The Cut is approximately nine miles long and three hundred feet across at the widest point.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Michael Maslan Vintage Posters, Photographs, Postcards Ephemera, June 2025.
Processing information:

Processed at time of accessioning by Kahlee Leingang in July 2025.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

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 laborers at Culebra Cut during Panama Canal construction, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
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