278. MANILA CARNIVAL POSTERS

 A gallery of Manila Carnival Posters used in the promotion of the national fair. Some of the artworks were done no less than by Fernando Amorsolo. The changing graphic designs reflect the prevailing art style of the era--from westernized characers to more Filipino imageries, from detailed conservatism, to streamlined art deco. 

 

274. Carnival Memento: 1933 MANILA CARNIVAL POSTER

 CARNIVAL TIME! Cast your work aside and get ready for the masked revelry at the Manila Carnival of 1933!!

A colorful 1933 Manila Carnival poster, printed on the front cover of The Sunday Tribune Magazine, possibly drawn by renown artist, Fernando Amorsolo. The Manila Carnival Commercial and Industrial Fair was held from 4-19 February 1933, climaxed by the coronation of the 1933 Miss Philippines, Engracia Laconico.

262. Carnival Memento: SOUVENIR SILHOUETTE

THE GREAT PROFILE.  A Manila Carnival silhouette portrait from 1936, a favorite souvenir from the national fair.

French Etienne de Silhouette, a chronic shadow cutter, gave his name to this simple art of portraiture, using a person's shadow as a template. It was a cheap way to capture one's likeness, making use of featureless profiles either traced from a shadow and then filled in with black ink or cut freestyle using black paper and a pair of scissors.

The Americans introduced this art form in the 20th century, but it did not catch on, only a few Filipinos mastered this craft (a certain artist named Marcelino practiced this art).

A few surviving examples come from the Manila Carnival area, which had booths that offered silhouette portraits as carnival souvenirs. This particular example is courtesy of the 1936 Manila Carnival. 

The profile of a man in a tuxedo is cut from textured black paper and mounted on a special hardboard that had the text, "Souvenir from the Manila & Carnival Exposition 1936". 

Silhouette souvenirs were also given away at the 1953 Philippine International Fair.

245. Carnival Mementos: PRESENTATION TROPHIES

LOVING CUPS & TROPHIES.Beautifully crafted silver trophies were presented to winners of various sports and music competitions organized during the Carnival days. These trophies are from 1912-13.

The Manila Carnival attractions included not just the Carnival Queen search but also the serious sports competitions participated by athletes fielded by schools and government bureaus. The sports events included Athletics, Basketball, Softball, Cycling, Indian Club and other field demonstration sports.

The winners were rewarded with beautiful presentation trophies, most of which were made by the talyer of Crispulo Zamora, who, together with his wife Pelagia, operated a successful metalcraft business in Quiapo, which he inherited from his father. His engraving plant, the biggest in the Philippines, also made religious plaques, school medals and metal buttons for the military.

His works for the Carnival first gained notice at the 1913 edition, where he made a precious array of trophies for contest winners and designed the magnificent crowns of the Carnival queens. His designs were always striking and imaginative, often mixing Art Nouveau, and later Art Deco style with Philippine motifs like bamboo, anahaw leaf and Filipina maidens.

Above are some of the magnificent silver trophies that Zamora designed and crafted,  each, a worthy and a fitting award to an athlete, for a job well done.

236. Carnival Memento: 1908 SOUVENIR PORTRAIT

A 1908 souvenir photo of a young carnival visitor by the name of Mary Helen. The dedication at the back reads: "Mary Helen and I attended the Carnival last evening. Be well. Albert.". It is addressed to a certain Mris. Robeson of Seattle, Washington, postmartked 4 March 1908, from Manila. The oval picture of Mary Helen in sepia was taken separately then pasted on a window on the postcard, that features the famous light tower that lit the Carnival grounds. Photo studio booths made good business taking snaps of Carnival scenes and revelers, making for good souvenirs of the country's national fair.

199. Carnival Mementos: MANILA CARNIVAL RECORDINGS

The spirited air that permeated the grounds of the Manila Carnivals was certainly not provided by just the merry revelers, but by the inspiring music composed and performed by talented Filipino performers. Several recordings were made with lively Carnival themes—from melodic paeans to the Carnival royalties to ragtag dance music so popular in the Jazz Age that was the 1930s.

The rarest recording was made by the “Nightingale of Philippine Zarzuela”, Maria Evangelista Carpena (22 October 1886 - 8 March 1915), acknowledged today as the country’s first recording artist. The Laguna born-soprano started as a church choir soloist and rose to become a successful star of the Tagalog zarzuela stage. Under the tutelage of Don Severino Reyes, she performed coveted roles in many zarzuelas like “Minda Mora” and "Walang Sugat”, both in 1902.

Hailed as the country’s best, she recorded with Victor Recording Company starting in 1908, interpreting such classic songs as “Ang Maya”, “Ang Geisha”, and “Ang Babaing Nauulol”. She also recorded duets with Victorino Carrion, often accompanied by Antonio Molina and his orchestra. Carpena died due to complications resulting from appendicitis on 8 March 1915.


The record shown here, with the title “La Reina del Carnaval de Filipinas” – a valse--was made for Odeon Record International Talking Machine. In this disc, “Srta. Carpena” sings a song tribute accompanied only by a piano. The flipside is entitled “Mucho Bueno”, a duet by Antonia Bautista and Sr. Pontefe. The record carries the seal of the Philippine Government and was recorded in Manila.

“La Reina del Carnaval del Filipinas” was the work of the famed composer, Jose A. Estella, who was a master of classical music and the Tagalog zarzuela. He had earlier composed “Ang Maya”, recorded by Maria Carpena. Born in 1870, he was a child prodigy at 10 and even performed for the Spanish royal family. He recorded the same song for Victor Record on 21 June 1912, and two years later, he recorded with his orchestra, a more contemporary “Manila Carnival Rag”, under the same label. Estella died in 1945; a son, Ramon Estella would become a successful award-winning film director and painter.


A later 78 rpm recording featuring Carnival music was made by a certain C. Gachalian for the prestigious Columbia Record in the U.S. Entitled “Carnaval del Manila”—a ‘marcha en Tagalog’, a march music, accompanied with a guitar. The flipside is the local version of “Honey Boy” by one C. Cristobal. This recording dates to the early Commonwealth years.

(Thank you, Arch. Edward de los Santos, for your permission to use pictures of your rare Manila Carnival record collection).

192. Carnival Beauties: MANUELA L. ORTEGA, 1927 Miss La Union

AY, MANUELA. The first Miss La Union, Manuela Lacsamana Ortega, came from a family of politicians who continue to rule over La Union to this day. The Ortegas comes from a powerful political family in La Union that has been involved in politics of the province since 1901 and which continues to this day. The patriarch was the Cebu-born Don Joaquin J. Ortega, who, at age 31 was appointed as the first civilian governor of La Union by Gov. Gen. William H. Taft. The next year, he became the first elected provincial governor. His marriage to Francisca Lacsamana of Bangar produced 14 children (one died in infancy) and among them was the lovely Manuela L. Ortega, the first Miss La Union. Like her seven sisters (Antonia, Vicenta, Ramona, Juanita, Joaquina, Concepcion, and Maria), Manuela was raised and educated in the province, learning domestic arts and housekeeping duties as was the custom in those days. All these changed when she was handpicked to be the provincial bet to the Manila Carnival search for Miss Philippines. With her family’s affluence and clout to back her, she went to the big city of Manila to compete in the first ever National Beauty Contest for that was won by Anita Noble of Batangas. Later in life, Manuela settled down, married a businessman Justo Orros from Isabela. Manuela’s five brothers—Jose, Luis, Francisco, Joaquin and Evaristo—all finished Law and all served in different capacities as judges, councilors, mayors, provincial board member, governors, congressmen, Speaker pro-tempore, thus continuing a family tradition in public service that has lasted for over a century.

189. Carnival Memento: 1936 MANILA BOHOL BOOTH BROCHURE

The Commonwealth Carnivals were the last to be celebrated in the country. The 1936 edition was mounted at the usual venue, Luneta, riding on the crest of national enthusiasm, brought about by America’s promise of independence after a 10-year transition period.

Provincial participation continued at the Carnival, and the Province of Bohol was a consistent and active member of the 1936 fair held from 15 February to 1 March 1936. The slant of the Carnival was the same as in the previous year, with emphasis on the Philippines’ commercial and industrial progress.

Bohol staged an art deco booth, featuring representative samples of its products. This complimentary brochure served as a guide to the province, to attract prospective investors and tourists alike.

From the write-up, we see that Bohol’s agricultural produce included palay, corn, sugar, abaca, cogon and tobacco, in that order. A census of the province’s animal stock was also featured, complete with a tally of the number of carabaos, cows, horses, pigs, goats and sheep found in the region.

Putting its best foot forward, Bohol also boasted of its new services and infrastructures, including its two airports and the telephone system connecting the island to the rest of the Philippines and the world. The looming war in the would put a halt not only to the national fair but also the great Philippine dream.

On 17 May 1942, just 6 years after the Carnival, Bohol would be invaded by the Japanese by way of Tagbilaran. Three very difficult years where to follow, until the return of the Americans to Bohol on 11 April 1945. A year later, Bohol became a part of the independent Republic of the Philippines.

174. Carnival Memento: 1909 MANILA CARNIVAL TICKET

TICKET TO RIDE, AND MORE! A rare example of a 1909 Manila Carnival general entrance ticket issued by the 'taquillera' at the gate. 1909.

So well-received was the first Manila Carnival of 1908 that a second Carnival just had to be organized the first year. Director General G. A. Reilly noted, “The Carnival of 1909, in presenting itself to the Orient, needs no more substantial guarantee of success than the truly wonderful record left behind by the Carnival of 1908”.

To give the second Carnival a fresh sense of visual identity, an illustrator was commissioned to create a logo for the Manila Carnival of 1909, which was cascaded to all sorts of printed materials and collaterals. The logo shows three Carnival symbols of revelry—a court jester and two masked female revelers, one in a Gibson Girl hat, the other in a native baro, to symbolize the unity of East and West. Below the smiling jester is the great seal of Manila. A ribbon carried the text “The Philippine Carnival”, festooned on top with coconut and anahaw leaves. The date of the event is on a crest between the 2 female figures: February 1909, Manila.


The artist has discreetly inscribed the illustration with the letters “HX” inscribed in an ovoid, below the Filipina masked figure. He may have been Howard Hedden, an American who illustrated for national publications like The Philippine Magazine in the first decade of the 20th century.

The small 2 x 3 in. paper ticket featured here, printed with green and red colors, repeats the design elements of the logo although they have been compressed and rearranged to fit the vertical portrait format. This paper ephemera, now over a hundred years old, is a rare memento of our country’s finest hours, when the world converged in Manila to see the a grand spectacle never before seen in the Orient.

171. Carnival Memento: 1920 MANILA CARNIVAL POSTER

CARNIVAL POSTERITY. Posters issued by the Philippine Carnival Association are sought after by collectors of Filipiniana and fair & exposition memorabilia.

The 1920 Manila Carnival was truly a special edition of the national fair. For two consecutive years before that, the Carnival had been scrapped as the United States was engaged in a long-winded war with the Central powers. But as the war came to an end with an American victory, the Carnival Association revived the event in 1920, dubbing it as the Victory Carnival and Exposition.

This full-color original poster was just one of the promotional materials printed for the 1920 Carnival by the Philippine Carnival Association. The main visual depicts a pair of revelers, with the man dressed as the Red Devil, the Carnival mascot and his woman companion as a masked Perriot. The Angel of Peace descends upon the Carnival gate, holding an olive wreath. The same illustration appeared in other collateral materials, like the 1920 souvenir program, which also featured the couple on the cover.

This incredibly rare, large poster comes in 3 sections and measures an impressive 25 x 48 inches. It must have been printed by the Bureau of Printing in Manila. Posters such as these were seen all over the city—from train stations, municipal halls and government bureaus.

Used with permission. My thanks to: Mark J. Weinbaum Fine Vintage Posters and Decorative Prints 2211 Broadway, Suite #4E New York, NY 10024 By Appointment www.MJWFinePosters.com

154. Carnival Mementos: PRINT ADS

Major commercial business establishments. private enterprises, government bureaus and other industries that supported the Manila Carnival placed ads in souvenir programs, magazines and other periodicals. While most companies used generic advertisements to announce their services and products, a few commissioned ads with specific Carnival themes. A few examples are shown on this page:

CRISPULO ZAMORA (1871-1922), founded the country's premier metalcraft and engraving store which made most of the medals, Carnival crowns, trophies, pins, military adornments, jewelry pieces and badges for use in the annual Carnival. Together with his wife, Pelagia, he turned his home business into a lucrative industry, the most well-known in the Philippines. His business ran for several generations. (1923)

"THE NIAGARA" was an American-owned luxury store along Escolta that operated alongside popular shopping haunts as I. Beck's, Heacock's, Botica Boie, Oceanic and Erlanger & Galinger. (1910)

"EL DEBATE" was a leading newspaper at the turn of the century, published by the Elizalde Family, which also owned "The Philippine Herald", "Mabuhay" and " Monday Mail". (1910)

"LA PUERTA DEL SOL" (The Door to the Sun), together with "La Estrella Del Norte" (The Star of the North), were the leading high-end department stores along Calle Escolta, touted as "the longest street in the world", at least, by Philippine standards, in the early part of the 20th century. (1910)

"ANG TIBAY", was the most popular local shoe brand in the Philippines that was founded in 1910 by Toribio Teodoro (1887-1965) and partner Juan Katindig. The renown footwear company actually started making slippers, but by the 1930, it had become a giant industry with modern machines that turned out over a thousand pairs of shoes daily, incresaing to 3,000 in the 1950s. Toribio amassed so much wealth that he bought the Manila Grand Opera House. This ad advertised new shoe designs made especially for the Carnival. (1934).

"THE YOKOHAMA" was an early Japanese trading and retail company with offices in Carriedo, which imported its stocks--mainly cotton goods and general merchandise-- from Yokohama, Kobe, Kyoto and Osaka. Its contemporaries include Matsui & Co., Nippon Bazaar and Ohga & Co. (1910)

"CABARET DE SAN JUAN", was an early 20th century dance hall that was frequented by high-heeled guests from here and abroad. It was unique in that it had a skating rink, a new craze at that time. Its chief rival was the better-known Sta. Ana Cabaret. (1910)

SQUIRES, BINGHAM & CO., was a popular photo print shop established by two British, Roy Squires and William Bingham, in 1905. The business expanded into a general merchandising and trading shop, specializing in imported sporting goods, guns and ammunitions. Today, it is the holdings company owned by the family of Don Celso Tuason, and is known as the Arms Corporation of the Philippines. (1909)

146. Carnival Mementos: 1909 MANILA CARNIVAL POSTER

This very rare full sheet lithographed poster of the 1909 Manila Carnival is generously shared by Mr. Allan Schein, who acquired this beautiful work of art in 1976 from the renowned magic poster collector, Mr. Alan J. Kanter, who is also a childhood friend.

The artwork was made by a certain artist named Fuster, which shows the Red Devil sprinkling "joy dust" on Carnival revelers. Nothing much is known about the artist Fuster, who may have been related to one Antonia Fuster, one of the beauties who graced the Oriental Court of Pura Villanueva in the previous year's 1908 Carnival.

The Red Devil figure came to life in many of the Carnival parades, with people donning devil costumes not just in red, abut also in white, yellow, black and other colors. But it was the image of the Red Devil that became the signature figure of the Carnival, replicated in medals, program covers, and commemorative posters such as this fine example.

According to Mr. Schein, this poster, celebrating the national Carnival held from 2-9 February 1909, was originally glued to a cardboard backing, but has since been fully restored. It has been framed and occupies a special place in his residence.

(Many thanks again to Mr. Allan Schein, for sharing with my readers this extraordinary memento from our nation's history.)