When the Americans arrive to take over the Philippines, amateur photographers take pictures of every possible inch of their new possession. Snapshots soon emerge from inside the cemeteries of towns and cities, showcasing an eerie and macabre trend. It seems that not even the most private places of the dead would be spared from the camera’s roving, ravenous, pinhole eye. 

Follow us on IG: @thecolonialdept

Follow us on TikTok: @thecolonialdept

Email us: [email protected]

Additional audio from Marques Brownlee, Dave 2D, and The Verge.

References:

Capozzola, Christopher (2017). “Photography and Power in the Colonial Philippines - 1.” Visualizing Cultures at the Massachusets Institute of Technology.

Lutz, Peter (1994-2024). “Beginners Guide To Understanding And Using A Brownie Box Camera.” Brownie-camera.com. https://www.brownie-camera.com/articles/petelutz/article.shtml

Williams, Nigel (17 July 2021). “Early Cameras, a Timeline.” A Flash of Darkness. https://flashofdarkness.com/early-cameras-timeline/

The Curious World (7 February 2024). “Taking pictures with a nearly-100 year old camera | Kodak No. 2 Brownie” [video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXoSRDVJ3B4

Stricklin, Krystle Elaine (2022). “Grave Visions: Photography, Violence, and Death in the American Empire, 1898 – 1913” [dissertation]. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University.

Rafael, Vicente (2000). White Love and Other Events in Filipino History. Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Barretto, Grace (2000). “A Survey of Literature on Indigenous Archaeological Practices and Their Archaeological Implications." Indigenous Peoples, 15(2).

Dakudao, Michelangelo (1998). “The Development of Cemeteries in Manila Before 1941.” Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, 26(1-2), pp. 254-271.