Manila Reborn: Filipino history goes online with the Cultural Institute

The following is a guest post from the Filipinas Heritage Library

Today marks the city of Manila’s 444th Foundation Day. With the addition of 54 images from the Filipinas Heritage Library to the Google Cultural Institute, you can now virtually explore the extraordinary history of this bustling city.

“Manila Reborn” commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Battle for Manila — a 21-day combat between the joint Filipino and American forces and the Japanese Imperial Army that saw about 100,000 lives lost and much of the city destroyed — and illustrates the decades-long process of rebuilding the city.

“Manila Reborn” seeks to explore how World War II transformed not only the city’s geography, but a way of life and a people’s worldview. The exhibit includes prewar and postwar photos from pioneering street photographer Teodulo Protomartir and pictures from the US Army collection showing the Battle for Manila and the city it left in its wake.

Photos from 1931 and 1945 show the Battle of Manila's devastation.

Already in the 1750s Manila was described as the "Pearl of the Orient." Divided by the Pasig River, it mixed Asian, European, and American cultural influences.

Manila took 300 years to build, but was devastated in the 21 days of the Battle for Manila. The business district was completely razed:

The Legislative Building c.1945 (left) and 2015 (right)

Bureau of Posts Building in 1945 (left) and c. 1960 (right)

“Manila Reborn," which includes photos from John Tewell's collection, joins 1,400 rare and important images recently added to the Cultural Institute to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.