Given the dawning of detente with Cuba, U.S. tourism to the Caribbean island will continue to rise in coming years. Installed in 1962, a U.S. embargo effectively froze the island nation in time, so visitors are eager to experience a portal into the past. Photos from the Library of Congress’ archives take you even deeper into the past, depicting Cuban life long before the embargo at the turn of the century .
With these vintage prints, you can explore daily life in Cuba during a pivotal time in Cuban-American relations, from 1890 to 1906. Life on the cobblestone streets of Havana was obviously much different than today. Horse-drawn carriages clutter the roads instead of colorful classic cars. Sparked by the suspicious sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898, the Spanish-American War was fought and won in a few months and led to four years of interim occupation by U.S. forces. After Cuban regained its full independence, life flourished in the “Rome of the Caribbean.” Examples of this can be seen in the buildings along Paseo del Prado, which have a European aesthetic.
Enjoy a trip back in time to Havana in the 20th century below.
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