1898 2 Cabinet Card Photographs of United States Army Spanish American War Troops Being Transported from Ships at Montauk, Long Island to Camp Wikoff Quarantine

(Spanish American War)

Price: 350.00 USD

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Southampton, New York: Corwith's Pharmacy, 1898. 2 sepia-tone photographs; particularly poignant, of 4 men in military garb carrying a stretcher with man aboard with pillow cradling his head, walking along a planked way between rails - which lead back to a troop carrier ship at dock (identified only from the funnel number '23' - a double-masted steam-sailer, single funnel visible midship) - bystanders watching the movement, soldiers lounging on shore, others at deck railings; (with) a shoreline image, foreground having several cloth-covered ambulance wagons, with a group of women and men in attendance, workers helping unload - in mid-ground is the Moran tug-boat Alfred W. Booth, which had been transferred to the U.S. Navy at this time and renamed the 'Massasoit' - the old name still visible here on the bow and deck-house and with several other transport steam ships in background - all boats at very temporary-looking shoreline docking facilities; images 4 1/2" x 6 3/4" size, mounted to beveled & gilt-edged cards at 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" overall; both with the publisher's notation of "....From...Corwith's Pharmacy, Southampton, N.Y." at bottom edge of mount; evidently this event, the quarantining of troops at Camp Wikoff in Montauk in 1898, was of great local interest and Corwith's took advantage of this by selling the imagery - and perhaps helped also with medicaments for the military - over 300 female nurses were at one time employed at the camp; no other photographer or studio noted; some spotting and foxing to the mounts, one with closed cut at top edge; images very good overall and are interesting U.S. military, Spanish American War, Montauk Long Island history imagery; Camp Wikoff hosted 29,000 soldiers including Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War, to quarantine for fevers and other tropical diseases before the troops could be sent to their homes. Very Good.

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