Although Panama is without the usual sights and sounds of Carnival this year because of the pandemic, these photos showcase the spectacular excitement that the events have provided for viewers and participants alike with parades, floats, queens, dancing, and costumes. Did you ever participate in a Carnival parade? Did you have a favorite float or group? What were your favorite Carnival traditions?

Just after midnight on January 27, 1855, the final spike for the Panama Railroad line was driven at Culebra, which was known as Summit at the time because it was located at the summit of the Continental Divide. The completed railroad was single-track and stretched for about 47 miles (76 km) between Panama City and Aspinwall (later named Colón). The following day, on January 28, a train crossed the Isthmus for the first time. With the completion of the 5-year construction project, the Panama Railroad became the first transcontinental railroad in the Americas. In 1955, the centennial of the opening of the railroad was celebrated in the Canal Zone with…

Thanks to Joe Wood for sharing this interesting video with the PCMC team! The video description reads, “This publication covers 150 historical photos (Then), in black and white, from 1904 to 1941 and include their original titles. The images recall the lifestyle of some villages and sites on the Pacific side of the Canal Zone such as Albrook, Ancon, Balboa, Balboa Heights, Clayton, Corozal, Diablo, Fort Amador, Gamboa, La Boca, Madden, Miraflores, Paraiso, Pedro Miguel and Summit. All current (Now) color photographs were taken this year (2016).” Video posted to YouTube by Jaime Massot

We need your help with identifying the location and purpose of these buildings. We assume that they are residential buildings. Please click each image to enlarge and comment below, including the photo number if necessary, to help us identify these buildings.

In our collections, there are photographs of the seemingly unassuming U.S. passenger ship called the SS America. However, this ship was implicated in the largest espionage case in U.S. history while it was in the Panama Canal. Two Nazi spies who were part of the Duquesne Spy Ring, Erwin Wilhelm Siegler and Franz Joseph Stigler, disguised themselves as the chief butcher and chief baker, while they obtained information about the movement of ships and military defense preparations in the Canal Zone. Stigler also sought to recruit amateur radio operators in the U.S. as channels of communication to German radio stations, and he met with other German Agents to advise them in their espionage…

We are calling for stories to include in our 2019 exhibition at the Albert H. Nahmad Panama Canal Gallery at the University of Florida. 2019 marks the anniversary of many major events that took place in and around the Canal Zone, so the exhibition will consist of images and objects relating to these events as well as oral histories. By sharing your story, you can help this exhibit come alive for the many guests that will visit it. We are looking for stories related to these topics: 1964 Flag Riots End of the Canal Zone Operation Just Cause Transfer of the Canal to the Republic of Panama Torrijos-Carter Treaties If you…

We have a multitude of photographs of Queen Lois I in the collection, including some of her pictured with her court, thanks to donations from the Katya De LaMatier Collection. Lois was crowned Carnival Queen in 1941. A program details the schedule for Lois’s coronation ceremony, which included many musical performances. The program also lists the “princesses” in Lois’s court. Did you attend Queen Lois’s Coronation Ceremonies? Did you ever personally know someone who was crowned Carnival Queen? What are some of your favorite memories from Carnival in the Canal Zone?

Happy Thanksgiving, PCMC members! We hope you are enjoying this holiday with food, family, and friends. To celebrate, here is a menu for Thanksgiving in 1966 aboard the S.S. Cristobal. The menu features American classics like roasted turkey and cranberry sauce, as well as regionally influenced dishes such as “Caribbean style” baked ham and some dishes that we found peculiar– like green turtle soup! Did you ever have a holiday dinner on a cruise ship while living in the Canal Zone? What were your Thanksgiving traditions in the Canal Zone? Have any of those traditions continued since moving away from the Canal Zone?

The New Cocolí Dictionary, compiled by Carl N. Berg and Patricia D. Propst, presents the most common definition or understanding of names, words, and phrases that were familiar during the American Era of the Panama Canal and Canal Zone. These definitions include English, Spanish, and French words. The original focus of the dictionary was the townsite of Cocolí, and it was expanded in August 2015 to include the greater Canal Zone. The scope of the geographic and date span coverage was expanded significantly in subsequent revisions, culminating in this 2017 edition: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00061372/00001 You can suggest new terms or contribute new information by commenting on this post. Thank you!