Twenty-nine loose original gelatin silver photos, all ca. 21x26 cm (8 x 10 in). All photos are with captions and numbers in negative; twenty-two are also dated from 1906 to 1916 in negative. A couple photos with mild fading or  silvering, occasional creases on corners or tears on extremities, but overall a very good collection of strong, interesting photos.

Interesting collection of twenty-nine original gelatin silver photos of the Panama Canal and its Pacific terminus, Panama City, from the famous series, taken by Ernest “Red” Hallen, the official photographer of the Isthmian Canal Commission – the U.S. administrative body responsible for the construction and early management of the Canal. In the course of his 30-year work in the Canal Zone (1907-1937), Hallen produced over 12,000 photographs, which became the classical representation of the history of the greatest engineering feat of its time.

The earliest photos from the collection date back to the first years of American management of the Canal’s construction (1904-1914) and show Camacho reservoir and dam under construction (1906), U.S. surveyors taking observations in the Culebra Cut near Paraiso (the most chalenging part of the construction over the Continental Divide), prisoners constructing road between Pedro Miguel and Miraflores (1910), Chagres River near Los Hornos (1912) and sunken American steamer “Newport” in the port of Balboa (Panama City), which was damaged by a falling dock shed in August 1912.

The majority of photos document the construction and management of the Canal in 1913-1916 and include important images of one of the first navigations of the Canal by the U.S. steamship “Advance,” which went on a test trip from Colon to Miraflores Lake on August 9, 1914, just days before the first complete crossing by S.S. “Ancon” on August 15 that year. Very interesting are the views of damage caused by landslides in the Culebra Cut (renamed the Gaillard Cut in 1915-2000) area in June and September 1915, which resulted in the Canal’s closure for six months and subsequent excavations. There are also several views of Panama City, showing coaling station and “Office of Material and Supplies” in Cristobal, dry dock in the “Pacific terminals,” newly-constructed railway station, “Hotel Aspinwall” on Taboga Island (Gulf of Panama), ruins of Convento Santo Domingo and Flat Arch, ruins of Old Panama Cathedral, Santa Ana Plaza and Cathedral Plaza, &c.

Overall an interesting collection of early original photos of the construction and maintenance of the Panama Canal in the 1900s-1910s.

A list of captions:
190. Camacho Reservoir. View from south end, showing the dam (under construction) in the distance. October 1906; 180-A. Ruins of the tower in Old Panama. March 1907; 183-E. Prisoners constructing road between Pedro Miguel and Miraflores. August 1910; 214-J. Chagres River. View near Los Hornos, showing effect of flood water on limestone banks. 1912; 176-H. City of Panama. Ruins of Santo Domingo Church, showing the Flat Arch. 1912; 181-C. Ruins of old Panama. Part of the cistern, showing brick roof and concrete sides. 1912; 209-D. Sinking of steamship “Newport.” View of stern, looking north up the Canal. August 17, 1912; 38-X8. Culebra Cut, Culebra. Deepest excavated portion of Panama Canal, showing Gold Hill on right and Contractor’s Hill on left. June 1913; 91-D. Wrecking cranes pulling locomotive #338 out of slide in dump between Corozal and Balboa. Sept. 7, 1913; 169-D1. Panama R.R. new passenger station, Panama City, Republic of Panama, Dec. 1913; 80-A63. S.S. Advance on Miraflores lake, going south, on trip through Canal. Guide wall of locks in distance. Aug. 9, 1914; 30-X37. Operation of Miraflores Locks. View from deck of S.S. “Advance” approaching locks, showing spillway to the left. Looking south. Aug. 9, 1914; 18-X1. Gaillard Cut, Culebra. Slide in east bank north of Gold Hill. Looking north from Contractor’s Hill. June 1915; 38-X39. Culebra Cut, Culebra. Looking north from Contractor's Hill, showing condition of east and west banks of the Canal. June 1915; 80-B20. Operation of Miraflores locks. U.S.S. “Missouri” and “Ohio” in the upper chambers. Looking north. Jy. 16, 1915; 26-O45. Balboa Terminals, shop buildings and pier #1. Sept. 1915; 13-X97. Gaillard Cut. Culebra slides, east and west banks, looking south. Oct. 5, 1915; 38 ½ H. Gaillard Cut, Culebra. View from top of Gold Hill, looking northward. Canal channel practically closed by slides from both banks. Oct. 24, 1915; 219-N. Taboga Island. Hotel Aspinwall from the bay. Jan. 1916; 3-X24. Cut Gaillard. North face of Gold Hil showing the slide. Mch. 23, 1916; 26-J267 1/2. Pacific Terminals. Gen. view of Dry Dock # 1 from Sosa Hill, showing machine shops and entrance basin. July 5, 1916; 13-X138. Cut Gaillard looking south from east bank. Dredges widening channel from 300 to 500 ft. Gold Hill on left. Jy. 14, 1916; 139-Z75. Cristobal coaling sta. from the Bay (copy of drawing); 140-A. Office of Material and Supplies – Cristobal; 185. General view of the Mount Hope Reservoir; 205. An old French ladder dredge near La Boca; 99-C. Surveyers at work in the Cut. Paraiso; 161-B. Cathedral Plaza, Panama, paving completed; 174. Santa Ana Plaza, Panama.