From April to August of 1898 the United States and Spain were engaged in the Spanish-American War, part of which took place in and around Cuba in the Caribbean Sea. Cienfuegos, a city about 160 miles to the southeast of Havana, sits along the country’s southern shore. This photograph captures a slice of life moment in that place during that time.
A General Store - Cienfuegos, Cuba 1898
I purchased the photograph from an eBay seller who said that this came from a group of about 80 others taken by the same photographer. According to notes on the other photos and the seller’s research, the photographer was a member of the 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (O.V.I.) who brought a portable camera with him to document his travels to and around Cuba.
The 6th O.V.I was called into service on April 25, 1898 and stationed at Camp Thomas in Chickamauga Park, Georgia and Camp Poland in Knoxville, Tennessee, before being transferred to Cienfuegos, Cuba to serve as part of the Cuban Occupation Force. The 6th O.V.I. was discharged on May 24, 1899.
Here is the photo with its border cropped.
A General Store - Cienfuegos, Cuba 1898
Here are some higher resolution details of the photo, starting with the writing at the bottom which appears to be written at the time of the photo.
A General Store - Cienfuegos, Cuba 1898
A young man mounts the half wall of the counter like a horse, his right leg draped over, hand on knee. Next to him is a boy. Perhaps a brother? A son?
The focal point of photograph is this man with his casual lean and relaxed pose. At first I thought he might be the proprietor. The eBay seller said that it was in fact one of the soldiers from the 6th O.V.I., his clothing matching that of other soldiers in a camp setting from the other photos.
Men and boys of varying ages stand behind the counter, eyes transfixed on the camera, likely an uncommon sight to these locals. They are flanked by two scales, the sort used to measure grain, sugar, rice, or other dry goods.
What hangs from the ceiling. Is it rope? Garlic? Decoration? Whatever it is it hangs above shelves of dishes, bowls, mugs, and teapots. I also imagine the shelves lined with bottles of rum and boxes of cigars.
And, lastly, a peaceful pooch takes center stage on the floor of the store.
Who are these people and what are their stories? What was life like for them during the war? What did they sell? To whom? What were their homes like? Their churches? Their cafes? These are just some of the questions that occur to me as I admire this photo that, after some 120+ years, has made its way into my collection of old-timey store photos.
A special thanks to Sherlock Cohn: The Photo Genealogist for her input and extra set of eyes on this photo.
Check out the growing gallery of Old-Timey Stores!
Related Posts: 1890s
The grocery store of Charles Boylan (1853-1931) at 1011 Mt. Vernon in Columbus, Ohio. This photos was likely taking in the lat 1890s or early 1900s.