Katherine Kingsford Panama Canal Photograph Album
name: label: Creator
content: Kingsford, Katherine
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry
place: label: Place
content: Panama Canal (Panama)
label: Place
content: Panama
topic: label: Topic
content: Canals -- Panama
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History's Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (now Division of Work and Industry) by Katherine Kingsford in1982.  It was transferred to the Archives Center in 2007.
creator: label: Creator
content: Kingsford, Katherine
setName: label: See more items in
content: Katherine Kingsford Panama Canal Photograph Album
abstract: label: Summary
content: An album of photographs of Panama and the Panama Canal, circa 1904-1914.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: On November 18, 1903, the United States and Panama negotiated the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, which granted the United States. permission to construct a canal that would join the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  Construction for the Panama Canal began on May 4, 1904.  The large workforce -- at its highest population in 1913 it numbered 44,733 men, not including those sick, on leave, or otherwise absent -- had a great impact on Panama.  As there were not enough amenities to accommodate them when they arrived, the workers built entire communities, paved streets, improved communication systems, and installed water and sewage systems.  Likewise, the railroad was improved for more efficient transportation of supplies, labor, food, and equipment.  Much to the credit of Chief Sanitary Officer Dr. William Crawford Gorgas, yellow fever was completely eradicated on the isthmus and malaria cases greatly reduced.  Native villages and towns along the planned construction route were required to relocate. 

The first self-propelled, ocean-bound vessel traveled on the canal on January 7, 1914, and the canal was formally opened in August of that year.  The Panama Canal construction project was the most expensive construction project in United States history to that date, costing $375,000,000.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.15 Cubic feet (1 box)
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1904-1914
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1040
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photograph albums
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged in one series.

Series 1, Photograph Album, circa 1904-1914
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Kiley Orchard, intern, 2008; supervised by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photograph albums -- 20th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists of a disbound album of photographs relating to the Panama Canal, including a few construction scenes, vessels traveling through the Canal, urban and rural street scenes, housing, hospital scenes, historic buildings, and people.  The three inch by three inch photographic prints are mounted on black album paper and most are badly faded and unidentified.  Most of the photographs are informal and have the feel of snapshots taken by an amateur photographer. There are a few larger format photographs.  Also included is the Official Handbook of the Panama Council, 1913.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials in the Archives Center

William Currie Photograph Album (AC1043)

John Frances Little Panama Canal Scrapbook (AC0708)

Roland A. McCrady Photograph Collection (AC0710)

Robert Dearborn Panama Canal Photonegatives (AC1111)

W.A. Fishbaugh Panama Canal Photograph Album (AC1021)

Underwood & Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection (AC0143)

W.P. Stine Panama Canal Papers (AC1039)