[Collection of Ninety-five Annotated Vernacular Photographs of Guam and the Marianas Islands]

Guam, 1945. Very good.. Ninety-five black-and-white silver gelatin photographs, each 4 x 5 inches, over seventy with printed or manuscript captions in the margin or verso, eighteen captioned in the negative. Minor overall wear, slight fading to a few images, all removed from photo album, with paper remnants on verso, about ten images with slight corner loss or creases. A collection of original photographs showing Guam, local Chamorro people, and the Northern Mariana Islands in 1945. The images were likely taken by photographers serving in the American armed forces. Twenty-three photographs show villages and the environs of Guam. These include Merizo and environs (a farm, highway, and beach); Inarajan (St. Joseph’s Church and “native houses”); Umatac (a thatch house and Lamira Root Fountain, dedicated in 1933 and built by the principal of Umatac School, F. Q. Sanchez, alongside others); Agat and Asan, villages that were rebuilt with aid from the U.S. military, and a photograph of the sign for Agat School; a waterfall near Agana, the capital of Guam; and Talofofo Bay.

Most notably, over forty photographs capture portraits of Chamorro people, including women in "hula costume," schoolchildren, families, a pair of siblings enjoying coconuts, and more, several of whom are identified in the captions ("Lourdes S. Torres," "Florence Flores -- 15 yrs," "Maria Garrido & brother," and others). Other photographs show scenes of children drawing water, women doing laundry, and locals swimming and bathing. Almost twenty photographs, captioned and dated in negative in May 1945, show the coastline and harbors of the Northern Mariana Islands, including Alamagan, the Maug Islands, Pagan, and Sarigan. One photo shows a native bird with webbed feet on the Maug Islands. Overall, an interesting and research-worthy collection of photographs showing Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands during the last months of World War II, with notable portraits of indigenous people.