Displaying Filipinos : photography and colonialism in early 20th century Philippines

193 Pages·1995·4.529 MB·English

by  Benito Manalo Vergara

D
isplaying
F :
ilipin o s
Photography and Colonialism
In Early ao"1 Century Philippines
Benito M. Vergara, Jr.
University of the Philippines Press
1995
Philippine Copyright 1995
by Benito M. Vergara, Jr.
All rights reserved, no copies can be made in part or in
whole without written permission frpm the author and the
publisher.
Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
University of the Philippines Main Library
Recommended entry:
Displaying Filipinos: Photography and Colonialism in Early
20th Century Philippines/Benito M. Vergara, Jr.—Quezon
City: University of the Philippines Press, University of the
Philippines, cl995.
194 pp.
1. Philippines—History—1898
2. Photograph Collections
I. Title
ISBN 971-542-045-1
Production Supervision: Laura L. Samson
Editorial Assistants: Armine Soberano and Benilda Escutin
Cover artwork and design: Arne Sarmiento and Tonton Santos
The Creative Response Co., Inc.
Layout and Typography: Mona Lisa S. Escara
Set in PalmSprings and Americana XBdCn BT
Printed in the Philippines by the UP. Press Printery
cv
"^1
CLCJ A
i-27
CONTENTS
List of Figures vii
Acknowledgments xi
Foreword xiii
1 Introduction: The Kodak Zone 1
2 Photography and Truth 7
3 The Taste of Empire 17
4 "An Enumeration of Themselves" 37
5 Confirming the Scowl 75
6 On Display 111
Afterword: Two Photographs 151
Works Cited 161
Index 173

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. "1. Mayoyao Igorot, 'Headman' of 56
Banaue. 2. Igorot. 3. Igorot Head-Hunter,
Lepanto-Bontoc. 4. Igorot Girl in Fem-Leaf
Costume. 5. Mayoyao Igorot, Young
Woman." Photographs are credited as
"Collection of Dean C. Worcester." (Source:
Census, Vol. 1, facing p. 541.)
Figure 2. "1. Moro Showing One Way of 57
Wearing the Sarong. 2. Sanguil Moro
Warrior in Brass Helmet and Cuirass. 3.
Samal Moros, Characteristic Dress. 4. Samal
Moro of Zamboanga. 5. Malanao Moro. 6.
Yakan Moro." (Source: Census, Vol. 1, facing
p. 563.)
Figure 3. "1. Presidente of Agusan (Visayan). 2. 59
Presidente of Oroquieta (Visayan). 3.
Presidente of Misamis (Visayan). 4.
Enumerators of Marinduque (Tag£logs). 5.
Enumerators of Masbate (Visayans)." (Source:
Census, Vol. 1, facing p. 522.)
Figure 4. "Enumerators, Province of Sorsog6n 60
(Bicols)." (Source: Census, Vol. 1, facing p.
450.)
viii DISPLAYING FILIPINOS
Figure 5. "Gov-Superior Locsin and Presidentes, 61
Province of Negros Occidental (Visayans)."
(Source: Census, Vol. 1, facing p. 526.)
Figure 6. "Entertaining the Kalingas. They are 85
listening with great interest to the
reproduction of a speech which one of their
chiefs has just made into the receiving horn
of a dictaphone." (Source: Worcester, The
Philippines Past and Present, facing p. 426.)
Figure 7. Above, 'The Old Way of Crossing a 86
River." Below, "The New Way of Crossing a
River." (Source: Worcester, The Philippines
Past and Present, facing p. 650.)
Figure 8. 'The illustration was taken not far 89
from the water works toward the river
Pasig." (Source: Fighting in the Philippines.)
Figure 9. "Died in Action . . ." The view is of 90
the battle field strewn with dead. The
central figure is that of a hero as he died
defending his country's honor." The picture
is of an American soldier in the Philippines.
(Source: Souvenir of the 8th Army Corps,
Philippine Expedition.)
Figure 10. "Negrito Hunters, Father and Son." 93
(Source: Hannaford, p. 23.)
Figure 11. "Head-Hunting Gaddane and Wife." 94
(Source: Hannaford, p. 26.)
Figure 12. "Philippine Malays. The youth's kris 96
is in its sheath and one of the maidens has
hold of the handle." (Source: Hannaford, p.
29.)
I
LIST OF FIGURES ix
Figure 13. "Group of the Better Class of 97
Filipino Women, Suburbs of Manila."
(Source: De Olivares, p. 551.)
Figure 14. "Smoking is Epidemic in the 99
Philippines; Children Are Weaned on
Cigars." (Source: Givens, p. 72.)
Figure 15. "A Philippine Family." (Source: 100
Thomas H. Seim Papers, # 4067. Box 2,
envelope 8, photograph 5. Department of
Manuscripts and University Archives, Cornell
University Library.)
Figure 16. "Scene near San Miguel Street in 103
Manila, taken December 25, 1898, showing
caribou and a dray cart; also the natives in
their natural costumes and positions."
(Source: Coursey, frontispiece.)
Figure 17. "Educational Value of the 105
Constabulary. 1. Bontoc Igorot on entering
the service, 1901. 2. After a year's service,
1902. 3. After two years' service, 1903.
(Source: Frederick C. Chamberlain, The
Philippine Problem 1898-1913 (Boston: Little,
Brown, and Co., 1913), facing p. 160.)
Figure 18. "A Negrito of Bataan Province. [Age, 118
15. Photo No. 3; Bilibid Prison No. 2339 C.
Plate 78.]" (Source: Folkmar.)
Figure 19. "The Bontoc Head-Hunters . . ." 125
(Source: The World's Fair, p. 169.)
Figure 20. "The Igorot as an Exhibit . . ." 127
(Source: The World's Fair, p. 149.)
X DISPLAYING FILIPINOS
Figure 21. "Filipino Representatives of the 129
Malay Race . . ." (Source: The World's Fair,
p. 155.)
Figure 22. 'The Visayan Troupe . . ." (Source: 131
The World's Fair, p. 163.)
Figure 23. "Antaero, the Igorot, at Home . . . " 135
(Source: The World's Fair, p. 167.)
Figure 24. "Peace and Prosperity. This chance 140
photograph showing General Emilio
Aguinaldo as he is today, standing with
Director of Education Frank L. Crone, beside
a field of com raised by Emilio Aguinaldo,
Jr., in a school contest . . ." (Source:
Worcester, The Philippines Past and Present,
facing p. 658.)
Figure 25. "The Metamorphosis of a Bontoc 152
Igorot. Two photographs of Pit-a-pit, a
Bontoc Igorot boy. The second was taken
nine years after the first." (Source:
Worcester, The Philippines Past and Present,
Vol. 2, 1914, frontispiece.)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study could not have been completed without
the help of many people. First of all, I would like
to thank Professor Randolph Barker, Professor Benedict
R. O'G. Anderson, and Professor James T. Siegel, for
their patient guidance and invaluable advice.
This work has also benefited from the comments
and insights of Professor John Borneman, Professor
Harold C. Conklin, Professor Isagani R. Medina, and
Professor David K. Wyatt.
I am indebted to the following individuals for their
assistance in answering my complicated queries: Anne
Frantilla of the Bentley Historical Library at the
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, David Kennedy
of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of
Michigan at Ann Arbor, Mary Ison of the Prints and
Photographs Division of the Library of Congress, and
most especially, Nicholas Natanson of the Still Pictures
Branch of the National Archives and Records
Administration. Allen Riedy of the Echols Collection at
Cornell kindly helped me in searching for archive
locations and contents. Helen Swank and Teresa
Palmer of the Cornell Southeast Asia Program attended
to my persistent requests and questions with great
patience.
xii DISPLAYING FILIPINOS
My stay at Cornell as a graduate student was
funded by a Southeast Asia Program Fellowship for
Southeast Asians (1990-1991) and a Benedict R.
Anderson Fellowship for Southeast Asians (1991-1992).
I am most grateful to the Cornell Southeast Asia
Program for this support.
During the four-year course of my research,
writing, and revision, many other people contributed
to this study in ways that go beyond the academic.
So, in the spirit of overwhelming enthusiasm (and
constant gratitude!) that accompanies initial scholarly
endeavors, I present a partial list of individuals I am
deeply indebted to for countless reasons: Jun Aguilar,
Donna Amoroso, Joshua Barker, Kiko Benitez, Bingbing
Caouette, Dominique Caouette, Eleanor Courtemanche,
Henry Facundo, Anne Foster, Nick Fowler, Jill
Gillespie, Jackie Hatton, Carol Hau, Lotta Hedman,
Nap Juanillo, Doug Kammen, Tammy Loos, Sarah
Maxim, Astrid Muller, Brad Prager, Romeo Quintana,
Mike Richardson, John Sidel, Sabine Tattersall, Nora
Taylor, Nai Vail, Peter Vail, and Portia Wu. But I
would like to single out the following people: Jojo
Abinales, Jeff Hadler, Bin Lau, Mike Montesano, and
Erick White. These five people generously provided me
with a constant supply of advice (wise and otherwise)
and good company throughout my first two years in
Ithaca as I wrote this book. I thank them all.
Finally, I wish to thank my parents, my brother,
and my sister for their love, guidance and
encouragement.