Historic Photos
Photography is a record of your living, for anyone who really sees.
– Paul Strand
Photography is truth. The cinema is truth twenty-four times per second.
– Jean-Luc Godard
The following photos document some of the key events and significant turning points in Puerto Rican history, commencing from the date of U.S. invasion in 1898.
The photos focus on the Ponce Massacre, the revolution of October 1950, and the life of Pedro Albizu Campos.
U.S. occupation
U.S. 17th Regiment raises a few eyebrows
Inauguration of Charles H. Allen,
the first civilian governor of Puerto Rico from the U.S.
Sugarcane railroad circa 1915:
the sugarcane, land, and railroad are all owned by U.S. banks
Hiram Beauchamp, one hour before his police execution in San Juan, PR
Funeral march for Hiram Beauchamp and Hiram Rosado,
murdered by the Insular Police
The Ponce Massacre
The Ponce Massacre begins
Márquez Telechea’s last words,
on the front page of El Imparcial
Cartoon in Florete magazine, ridiculing the staged “self-defense” photo
Family of Ponce Massacre victims. Bullet holes show in the wall
Funeral procession for Ponce Massacre victims.
Over 20,000 mourners participated.
FBI, U.S. Army, Insular Police
FBI document identifying Governor Muñoz Marín as a narcotics addict
Gov. Muñoz Marín’s police seize dangerous Puerto Rican flags
Police seize more "dangerous" Puerto Rican flags
The “tommy gun” police of Gov. Blanton Winship
July 4th military parade through Old San Juan
The 1950 revolution
National Guard troops deployed to stop the 1950 revolution
5,000 National Guard troops occupy the towns of Jayuya and Utuado
More U.S. National Guard troops arrive in Jayuya (November 1, 1950)
National Guard troops continue pouring into Jayuya and Utuado
“Air Force Bombards Utuado”
(front page of El Imparcial, November 1, 1950)
P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes. Ten P-47s bombed Utuado and Jayuya
Guillermo González Ubides,
the first Nationalist killed in the 1950 revolution
Insular Police hide behind steel drums in Utuado
Hipólito Miranda Díaz, killed in the Arecibo police station
Attack on the Salón Boricua
U.S. National Guard assault the Salón Boricua
Police and National Guard surround the Salón Boricua
Police and National Guard take cover from the barber’s gunfire
Vidal Santiago Díaz (the barber) after the roof fell on him
Vidal Santiago Díaz (the barber) hauled out of Salón Boricua
National Guardsmen search for guns, in the rubble of Salón Boricua
24-hour watch around the Salón Boricua
Attempted assassination of Pres. Harry Truman
Oscar Collazo, after the attempted assassination of Pres. Harry Truman
Diagram of the Truman assassination attempt
Attack on the governor’s mansion
Dead Nationalists in the courtyard of La Fortaleza
(the governor’s mansion) after the attempted assassination
of the Governor of Puerto Rico
“Goyito” Hernandez, the only Nationalist who survived
the failed assassination attempt in La Fortaleza.
He lost three fingers of his left hand.
Arrest of 3,000 Puerto Ricans
Women and children arrested as “suspected Nationalists”
Mass arrest of “suspected Nationalists” in San Juan
Farmers arrested as “suspected Nationalists” in Jayuya
Roadside arrest of “suspected Nationalists,” some still in their pajamas
FBI, National Guard, and Insular Police coordinate their arrest sweeps
Adults and children arrested in their own schools
Farmers arrested and detained by U.S. National Guard troops
Carmen Perez, Olga Viscal, Ruth M. Reynolds
handcuffed and headed for La Princesa
Farmer arrested as a “suspected Nationalist”
Salvador González Rivera arrested in San Juan
More mass arrests of “suspected Nationalists”
Lolita Lebrón and Nationalists
Lolita Lebrón and three Nationalists arrested,
after shooting five US congressmen
Location of five congressmen shot by Lolita Lebrón and Nationalists
Political meeting at the University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras campus)
Life and death of Pedro Albizu Campos
Barrio Tenerías section of Ponce,
where Albizu Campos was born and raised
1916 Harvard class photo. Albizu Campos appears on the extreme left.
Lieutenant Albizu Campos during Word War I
Albizu advocates for independence in his hometown of Ponce, PR
Puerto Rico Liberty Bonds, created by Albizu Campos
Albizu advocates for independence in Rio Piedras
(the University of Puerto Rico)
Albizu at Sixto Escobar Stadium
Crowd swarms around Albizu, upon his return from prison
15,000 people greet the SS Kathryn to cheer the return of Albizu Campos
Albizu tear-gassed, arrested, and sent to La Princesa
Albizu in La Princesa prison, profoundly exhausted.
He spent 25 years in prison.
The dungeons (calabozos) of La Princesa
Albizu with burnt skin, all over his body
Albizu shows his burns and lesions to reporters
Albizu after his prison stroke…paralyzed on the
right side, unable to speak, silenced forever.
Albizu unable to speak
Che Guevara speaks on behalf of Albizu
at the 19th General Assembly of the U.N.
“Albizu Campos has died”
El Imparcial, April 23, 1965
Honor guard salutes Albizu’s coffin outside the Ateneo Puertorriqueño
Funeral procession for Albizu Campos.
The streets of San Juan were lined with mourners.
Mourners line the streets for the funeral rites of Albizu Campos
“Investigation demanded into the death of Albizu Campos”
Enduring image of Pedro Albizu Campos
For a discussion of these photos, and how they integrated into the history of Puerto Rico, please read…
Buy it now
WAR AGAINST ALL PUERTO RICANS 
Solo le pido a Dios
Que el dolor no me sea indiferente
Que la reseca muerte no me encuentre
Vacía y sola sin haber hecho lo suficiente
Solo le pido a Dios
Que la guerra no me sea indiferente
Es un monstruo grande y pisa fuerte
Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
Sólo le pido a Dios
Que el futuro no me sea indiferente
Desahuciado está el que tiene que marchar
A vivir una cultura diferente!
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La Revolucion empieza con educacion. Nuestrxs jovenes necesitan entender nuestra historia para entender el futuro. Este Libro debe de estar en todas casa Puertorriqueñas.
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Puerto Ricans will fight in peace, or to the death, for a free Puerto Rico.
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Ana,
Esto seria possible…pero depende en la cantidad de estudiantes que vendrian. Tambien…se podrian vender algunos libros durante la feria?
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Trabajo en una escuela publica en Springfield, MA. La mayoria de nuestros estudiantes son descendientes de puertorriquenos y afroamericanos. Hace usted alguna presentacion gratuita en las escuelas? Tenemos una feria internacional y mis estudiantes y yo siempre representamos a Puerto Rico. Esta sera el 29 de abril. Podria usted asistir?
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La Madre Patria os dio vuestra autonomía e los gringos os arrebato em poco tiempo!!
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So much there is to learn from our land. My grandfather used to speak about this but as a very young child I can’t recall. All I know is that he lived in those times with his very large family. Thank you Nelson!
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Nicely said!
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When righteous by any standard fails to stop opression or tyranny, civilization regress further and further back. Good men must therefore act at the first sight of opression and tyranny for mankind to move forward towards a just and compassionate society.
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NO QUIERO VER A MI PUERTO RICO COMO CUBA,QUE SEA EL PUEBLO QUE DECIDA !!!
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Puerto Rico no ha cambiado, siguen los lacayos del Imperio o los “pipiyanquis” haciendo el trabajo sucio en la colonia para beneficiar los intereses económicos del amo. Que verguensa!!
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La Segunda Marcha Oscar – Mandela en Nueva York 2015
Tendremos nuestra 2da Marcha Oscar – Mandela en Nueva York el lunes, 22 de junio de 2015. Empezaremos a marchar pacíficamente a las 9 AM desde Hunter College, en la calle 68 y Avenida Lexington, hasta la Calle 43. Haremos una izquierda para continuar marchando en dirección Este para llegar al parque Ralph Bunche (al otro lado de la Organización de Naciones Unidas).
Allí, repartiremos hojas sueltas para orientar al público sobre nuestro prisionero político Oscar Lopez Rivera y la relación colonial ente el gobierno de Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico. Estaremos en el parque hasta las 5 PM.
La mayoría de la gente no sabe que, todos los años, usualmente el lunes después del Día de los Padres, la Organización de Naciones Unidas (ONU) celebra una vista para discutir la descolonización de Puerto Rico. Los peticionarios usualmente se unen a nuestra protesta después que terminan sus ponencias.
La ONU determinó en el 1960, que el colonialismo es un crimen en contra de la humanidad. Desde entonces, la ONU ha emitido 33 resoluciones pidiéndole al gobierno de Estados Unidos (EEUU) que descolonice inmediatamente a Puerto Rico. EEUU ha ignorado esta voluntad de la comunidad internacional. ¿Qué tipo de democracia es eso?
El gobierno de Estados Unidos trata de mantener nuestra relación colonial la más secreta posible. Lo que nosotros estamos tratando de hacer es sacarla del closet. La ONU está en su tercera década tratando de erradicar el colonialismo del mundo. ¡Por favor, ayudemos!
La mayoría de gente tampoco no sabe que el Gobierno de Estados Unidos le saca 14 veces más dinero de lo que invierte en Puerto Rico. ¡Pero, para eso son las colonias!
Esta explotación salvaje le impide a Puerto Rico ofrecerle oportunidades a los puertorriqueños en Puerto Rico. Por eso es que tenemos más puertorriqueños afuera de su isla que adentro.
Oscar López Rivera ha estado encarcelado por 34 años por su lucha para descolonizar a su país. Por ser un crimen (el colonialismo), la ley internacional le da a Oscar el derecho de usar todo los medios necesarios para descolonizar a su nación. Nelson Mandela estuvo 27 años encarcelado por hacer exactamente lo mismo que Oscar. Por eso decimos, ¡Oscar López Rivera es nuestro Nelson Mandela!
Compañeros Unidos para la Descolonización de Puerto Rico invita al público a ser parte del tsunami de gente que será necesario para obligar al gobierno de Estados Unidos a excarcelar a Oscar y a descolonizar a Puerto Rico. ¡Nuestras protestas anuales son absolutamente necesarias porque, los que mantienen colonias no creen en la justicia para todos!
José M López Sierra, http://www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com
787-429-1981
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Lo mas triste de todo esta historia es los mismos Puertoriquenos haciendole dano a su propia gente. Me dolio hasta el Corazon ver a varios Puertoriquenos reirce al sufrimientos de otros puertoriquenos. Que triste nuestra historia.
Of all the images I saw in this piece. The ones that stood out the most, that both hurt and disgusted me, were the ones of Puerto Ricans laughing at the pain and suffering of their brother Puerto Ricans.
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