José Ramón Sanfeliz Scrapbook Images

José Ramón Sanfeliz was born on September 21, 1870. He came to Ybor City in 1890 from Havana. When the Cuban War for Independence began in 1895, he was one of the organizers of the revolutionary "24th of February Club." He was one of the organizers of the revolutionary club "Los Vengadores de Maceo," of which he became the president. In 1899, he was a founder of "El Club Nacional Cubano, a multi-racial Cuban patriotic and social club. Sanfeliz also worked for several cigar factories including Lozano , Pendas, & Co., Ramon Monet, Ybor-Manrara, and Seidenberg & Co.

The photo album consists of 35 black and white prints of photographs taken by Mr. Sanfeliz between 1897 and 1905, mostly showing Ybor City views including unique photos of the "Weight Strike of 1899." Sanfeliz assembled these photos into an annotated album in 1922 with a dedicated to his good friend, D. B. McKay. According to a note in the album, the photographs were taken by Sanfeliz, and developed by Ybor City commercial photographer Mr. S. P. Burgert, whose sons founded Burgert Brothers, for decades Tampa's leading commercial photographic firm.