Vernacular Photo Album of the Philippines Campaign
Philippines: S.i., 1944–45. Good. Item #48645
Philippines: 1944-45. Oblong octavo photo album (17.5x25.5cm); black boards bound with string, handwritten slip reading “Earl’s Navy Pictures” mounted at front with tape; [35]pp. to which are mounted one hundred and fifty-six (156) black-and-white photographs. A number of images have come loose and many more have been reinforced with tape. Boards bumped and scuffed. Binding tender. Interior pages chipped and flaky. Laid-in at front are fifteen (15) centavos bills, the fiat currency issued by occupying Japanese forces during World War II. Good only.
Vernacular album full of unpublished photography of the 1944–45 Philippines campaign. Japan occupied the Philippines from 1942–1945; in 1944, American military forces, along with Filipino, Australian, and Mexican, began their effort to expel the Imperial Japanese forces. The capital city of Manila was liberated some months later, in March 1945, but combat continued until the end of the war.
Of the photographs in this album, around half are images of the Filipino landscape, including monuments, temples, and fields. The other portion are portraits and street scenes depicting locals and Americans alike. They include several striking shots of everyday Filipino life, and occasionally show the two groups interacting. One disturbing image shows a group of locals carrying a severed head tied to a large stick.
Though images in this archive appear to have been taken throughout the country, many are identifiable as the capital city of Manila. There are several images of the historic Legislative Building, which was destroyed during the month-long Battle of Manila. There are also photographs of Douglas MacArthur and Japanese military officials convening in the capital to discuss the terms of surrender.
Price: $850.00