Just for fun, here are some photos of girls playing sports in the Philippines in 1912. Many of the schools had indoor baseball (softball), volleyball, and basketball teams for girls by the early 1910s, when many schools in the US still thought girls should sit quietly, or do ridiculous calisthenics, rather than run around playing sports. I love these pictures, especially the last!
Thomasites Blog 
August 5, 2012 at 10:12 pm |
These are great! The bottom photo was taken in Baguio (considering what the batter was wearing); but would you know where the others were taken?
August 5, 2012 at 10:41 pm |
Hi Mona, thanks for your comment! I’m glad you like these photos – I love them so much! The photos are all from the National Archives in DC, in the Bureau of Insular Affairs record group. The first photo is of a basketball game that was part of the Philippine interscholastic meet (which I assume was in Manila?); the second photo is of the girls’ basketball teams of San Miguel and San Ildefonso, at a track and field meet in San Miguel in 1912; the third photo is also from the Interscholastic series, and is of the Tipas indoor baseball team from Rizal. The last photo was indeed taken at Baguio, at the Teachers’ Camp, and is a match between the Bua School and the Easter School.
June 18, 2013 at 1:15 am |
Everyone loves it when individuals come together and share thoughts.
Great site, stick with it!
January 15, 2014 at 11:14 pm |
This is Karlo dela Cuesta, I am a teacher here in the Philippines, the pictures are beautiful. It reminds of simpler times and the American legacy of education in our country. My great grandfather and Great grandmother as well as grandfather and grandmother were products of American education. It really opens up memories of them telling me stories of American teachers who not only taught them the three Rs but also upright citizenship and morality which is lacking in our country today. Could I use your pictures for my history class? I would love to share them to my students to remind them of times gone by.
January 16, 2014 at 6:01 pm |
Hi Karlo,
Good to hear from you! Of course you can use the pictures in your class – most of them are from the National Archives here, which has a wonderful photograph collection of schools during the early 20th century. I hope to hear stories like the ones your grandparents and great-grandparents tell soon myself – I am hoping to come to the Philippines again soon to do some oral history research among former students and teachers during the American period.
Best,
Sarah