Isle of Pines

After Cuba won independence from Spain (with some help from the United States), U.S. citizens and capital flooded the Island. Some of these people settled on a 934-square mile island off the southern coast called the Isle of Pines. Many of them believed that the Isle was not truly part of Cuba and could become U.S. territory. In 1903, Secretary of State John Hay signed two treaties. One guaranteed the long-term lease of Guantanamo Bay. The other ceded any U.S. claim to the Isle of Pines. The first was quickly ratified by both countries but the second languished before the U.S. Senate for more than two decades. The U.S. citizens on the Isle fought hard for annexation but ultimately, in 1925, the senate ratified the treaty, formalizing Cuban control.

This album was produced in 1913, in the middle of the campaign for annexation. It is composed of 50 photos. Nine show the private homes of U.S. citizens, eleven feature agriculture, nine display natural beauty, fourteen advertise tourist attractions, and only one shows native Cubans. William Wark, the copyright holder chose each image for a purpose. His choices fit very well with the arguments made for annexation. This link is furthered by the fact that while Wark had an office in Havana the album was produced in Brooklyn, New York. This further suggests that Wark was employed by some of the Isle’s U.S. occupants to show a certain view of life on the Island.

While there is no explicit reference to the feared return of the Island to Cuban control, the album does highlight the U.S. character of the Island. In prints 1 and 2 U.S. flags fly over the ships and in print 5— “Nueva Gerona, Street Scene”—all signage is written in English. Numerous Estadounidense names are listed as property owners and print 24 shows Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan addressing a seemingly white crowd at the Santa Fe Fair. The dominance of U.S. people, flags, culture, and language would suggest that this Island, as foreign as the flora may appear, is as much a part of the United States as Florida. Wark’s album paints an island that is clearly home to many U.S. citizens.

The Isle of Pines
William H. Wark, Obispo 70, Havana, Cuba, Albertype Prints in Bound Photo Album, The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, N.Y., Copyright 1913
The Isle of Pines

William H. Wark, Obispo 70, Havana, Cuba, Albertype Prints in Bound Photo Album, The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, N.Y., Copyright 1913

Forging Empire
Isle of Pines