1898 Tyler View of the Battle of Manila Bay, Philippines

This is an 1898 James Gale Tyler chromolithograph view of the Battle of Manila Bay, which took place on May 1, 1898. The battle, between the American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey and the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo, was one of the most decisive naval battles in history and effectively ended Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. The view depicts the Dewey's flagship, the U.S.S. Olympia, as well as the U.S.S. Baltimore and the U.S.S. Boston all firing their guns at the Spanish fleet, the Castilla (Castilia), Montojo's flagship, and the Reina Cristina, both of which are engulfed in flame. Commodore Dewey reported that the American fleet suffered nine injured and one fatality, due to a heart attack. Those numbers are disputed by some historians.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic effects. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominate method of color printing.

Publication History

This view was painted by James Gale Tyler and published by Peter Fenelon Collier in 1898.