CAPTURING THE FLEET

During the decades following the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, the navies of the world became regular users of the waterway, some sending entire fleets through. The US Navy was paramount, of course, as the long trip around South America by the battleship USS Oregon during the Spanish-American War had been a major factor in America’s decision to build the canal. During the waterway’s planning it had been decided that photography should be used to document all phases of engineering and construction.

A 31-year-old professional photographer, Ernest ‘Red’