These photographs are a remarkable documentary portrait of Cuba during the U.S. Military Rule of the Island (1899-1902) that followed Spanish-American War. The two photograph albums contain 104 photographs, from around 1899 and belonged to Maj. General Leonard Wood, soldier and doctor who was the commander of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry (not Teddy Roosevelt as is popularly believed) and later became the American Military Governor of Cuba.
 
The photographs were taken when Gen. Wood was Governor of Santiago Province (Eastern Cuba) and probably used to document the improvements being made to the infrastructure of the Island. Many of the photographs have the name of Lamarque, photographer Santiago, in the negative and those that do not are probably also by this photographer.