1890-1906
Streets of Havana
Wandering the streets of the old city (long before colorful cars)
1900
The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception and the Plaza de la Catedral.
Image: Library of Congress
These photos of the Cuban capital city capture it around the time of its independence from Spain, showcasing its centuries of Colonial, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture.
Founded in the early 16th century by Spanish colonists, the protected port of Havana became a major stopping point for shipping between the Americas and Europe, as well as one of the most fortified cities in the New World.
Following decades of Cuban agitation for independence and tensions between the United States and Spain, the mysterious 1898 explosion of the U.S. warship Maine in Havana Harbor led to the Spanish-American War, which ended in Spanish defeat. Cuba gained independence from the Spanish government, but remained firmly within the American sphere of influence.
After finding loopholes in legislation designed to appease anti-imperialists, American businesses invested heavily in Cuba, and trade between the two countries grew through the first decades of the 20th century.
With the end of the U.S. occupation in 1902, Havana embarked on a period of steady growth, with a burgeoning middle class and tourists wandering the streets of the “Rome of the Caribbean."
1900
The Paseo del Prado.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
The Plaza del Catedral.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
Central Park and the Gran Hotel Inglaterra.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
Obrapia Street.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
Avenida Zulueta.
Image: Library of Congress
1904
Vendors' stalls in the Mercado Tocon.
Image: Library of Congress
1903
A meat wagon.
Image: Library of Congress
1903
Residences on Paseo del Prado.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
Image: Library of Congress
1890
An ice cream vendor.
Image: Library of Congress
1890
Fruit wagons unload outside a market.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
The Plaza de Luz.
Image: Library of Congress
1890
A coconut merchant's wagon.
Image: Library of Congress
1904
The Mercado Tocon.
Image: Library of Congress
1904
Inside a jai alai hall.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
A newsboy and soldiers in a plaza.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
The wreck of the U.S.S. Maine, which exploded and sank mysteriously on February 15, 1898.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
Custom House Plaza.
Image: Library of Congress
1904
A horse-drawn cab.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
A view from O'Reilly Street, looking down San Ignacio Street toward the Cathedral.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
Image: Library of Congress
1890
Crowds on the Malecón.
Image: Library of Congress
1899
Image: Library of Congress
1904
Image: Library of Congress
1906
Obispo Street.
Image: Library of Congress
1904
A street corner merchant.
Image: Library of Congress
1903
A street cleaner.
Image: Library of Congress
1904
Vegetable stands in Mercado Tocon.
Image: Library of Congress
1900
A view looking north down the Paseo del Prado.
Image: Library of Congress
1890
A flower vendor.
Image: Library of Congress
1903
An avenue of palms on the outskirts of Havana.
Image: Library of Congress
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