This guide to the Panama Canal Museum Collection was created to help individuals understand the types of objects that are held in the collection and the subjects that they reference. It is not comprehensive. For specific or more detailed information, reach out to the collection’s curatorial team.
John R. Nemmers, Curator, jnemmers@ufl.edu, 352-273-2766.
Betsy Bemis, Associate Curator, ehbemis@ufl.edu, 352-273-2676.
September 2025
The Panama Canal Museum Collection (PCMC) at the University of Florida is a leading research collection for the study of the American era of the Panama Canal, primarily in the 20th Century. The collection documents activities and experiences in the former Canal Zone and in the country of Panama. To a lesser degree, the collection also preserves historical information about the Canal before and after U.S. construction and operation.
This guide was created to help individuals understand the types of objects in the collection and the subjects that they reference.
The PCMC is a hybrid museum, archive, and library collection comprised of hundreds of thousands of artifacts, books, periodicals, maps, and archival materials.
The collection was started in 1998 when a group of former employees of the Panama Canal and residents of the former Canal Zone established of the Panama Canal Museum in Seminole, Florida. The Museum successfully operated for 14 years before closing on July 31, 2012, and the collection was donated to the University of Florida (UF) to ensure its long-term preservation and accessibility. The materials that were transferred to UF at that time included over 12,000 objects consisting of millions of pages and items.
Since 2012, curators have continued to collect new materials to expand the collection. To inquire about donations please visit our Donating Materials page.
PCMC materials can be accessed for research in the Special & Area Studies Collections Department in the Smathers Library Building on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The collection is actively used by numerous scholars, students, classes, and independent researchers. Because of the size and scope of the collection, on-site visits and consultations with the collection’s curators are often necessary.
The collection primarily is comprised of archival materials and museum objects, including correspondence, photographs, ephemera, historical artifacts, manuscripts, etc. These materials are accessible via the Grand Reading Room in Smathers Library and they can be discovered using the Panama Canal Museum Inventory database (PCMI). Researchers are strongly encouraged to contact curators because the collection is currently being reorganized and some materials are not fully described in the PCMI database. Additionally, some of these objects are digital resources (e.g., oral history interviews), and are best discovered by searching the Digital Library of the Caribbean as well as PCMI.
Published resources including books, reports, and periodicals are primarily available in the Latin American & Caribbean Collection. Maps are held in the Maps and Imagery Library. These printed resources, along with government documents, are best discovered using the library catalog. Note that some printed materials may be found with the archival materials (e.g., news clippings, article reprints, individual newspaper issues, maps found in travel brochures, etc.). Consult with PCMC curators when searching for resources. Also, a bibliography of the book collection is available.
Basic information is available online about Searching PCMI, the library catalog, and the digital collection.
Many PCMC materials have been digitized and are available online in the UF Digital Collections and Digital Library of the Caribbean. However, these digital materials represent a small percentage of this enormous collection. Researchers such as graduate students working on theses and dissertations, filmmakers working on documentaries, and scholars working on books frequently ask if they should plan to visit the collection in person to conduct research and the answer frequently is yes. Curators strongly encourage researchers to schedule consultation appointments to learn more about the collection and determine if travel is necessary.
As a historical collection, the PCMC documents the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of people and groups of the past. As such, researchers may discover materials in the collection that they find to be offensive or harmful relating to race, gender, nationality, etc.
The collection includes many photographs, publications, papers, and other materials that are in the public domain because they are works of the federal government of the United States and therefore may be reproduced and used without restrictions. However, the collection also includes a significant amount of materials created by individuals and organizations which may be protected by copyright laws in the U.S., Panama, or other countries. Consult with curators when determining copyright protections, as these may limit reproduction, publication, and other uses of those materials.
Below is a general description of the subjects covered by PCMC and a list of the various formats in the collection. This information is not comprehensive. It is intended to provide a broad overview of the collection. Researchers interested in specific items or topics can consult the collection’s curators.
PCMC Subjects
The collection is large and covers many diverse subjects. Although it would be impossible to list all subjects, some of the prominent topics include:
Dates Covered
Most of the collection dates from the mid-1800s through the early 2000s, with a large majority dating from 1904-1999 when the U.S. constructed and operated the Canal. To a lesser extent, the collection also includes materials pre-1850 particularly reproductions of earlier published and unpublished materials.
Approximately 46 linear feet. Formats include prints, negatives, slides, digital images, enlargements, glass negatives, stereograph images, etc. The photographs are organized by formats and topics including places, Canal construction, Canal operations, organizations, military, etc. To search for photo albums and scrapbooks, use the PCMI inventory database. Note that the Postcard and Philately collection also contains thousands of photographs, including real photo postcards. See also the Photo Albums and Scrapbooks.
Approximately 97 linear feet. The collection includes papers generated by both the official governing bodies of the Panama Canal and the Canal Zone and those created by the community of people in Panama and the Canal Zone that lived near, worked for, and were impacted by the Panama Canal and the U.S presence in Panama.
The archival papers are organized into three categories:
Note that personal papers and ephemera can be found throughout most sections of the collection. For example, postcards that were mailed include correspondence. Scrapbooks often contain letters or telegrams. Governmental/administrative files contain letters relating to schools, military service, employment, etc. Materials relating to important events and activities such as the treaties, Operation Just Cause, etc., can be found in all parts of the collection (i.e., papers of individuals, governmental/administrative files, and ephemera and miscellaneous papers).
To search for archival papers, use the PCMI inventory database.
Papers of Individuals, Families, and Organizations:
Governmental/Administrative Papers (Panama Canal and Canal Zone Government):
Miscellaneous Papers and Ephemera:
Approximately 57 linear feet (77 boxes). We are in the process of creating a descriptive list of albums and scrapbooks. Once it is complete we will update this guide. For other photos, see the Photographs section. For other papers and ephemera, see the Papers section.
To search for photo albums and scrapbooks, use the PCMI inventory database.
Approximately 28 linear feet. These materials are related to postal history, philately materials, stamps, covers, postcards, etc. The majority were collected by Robert J. (Bob) Karrer, Jr., and Brad Wilde. In addition to the physical materials listed here, the Brad Wilde Digital Postcard Collection includes approximately 20,000 objects. Portions of this collection are available in the digital collection depending on copyright restrictions. Contact the PCMC curators for more information.
Note that there are albums with postcards in the Photo Albums & Scrapbooks section of the collection.
To search for postcards and philatelic materials, use the PCMI inventory database.
The PCMC has an extensive collection of periodicals including items produced by or for the community in the Canal Zone and Panama, as well as items published internationally that address issues related to the Panama Canal. These publications include newspapers, serials, newsletters, annual reports, military publications, school publications, yearbooks, and others. The collection also includes cookbooks and publications such as comic books and pulp fiction featuring stories about the Canal and/or Panama.
To search for periodicals and publications, use both the library catalog and the PCMI inventory database. Most of the collection consists of physical copies but some periodicals have been digitized or were acquired as digital resources. View selected digital resources.
The PCMC includes these published materials:
There are also approximately 259 reels of microfilmed newspapers from Panama housed in the Latin American and Caribbean Collection Library at the University of Florida. A list of the reels is forthcoming. Titles include:
The Latin American and Caribbean Collection Library also has physical copies of newspapers from Panama.
Note that the Latin American and Caribbean Collection Library also has microfilmed publications. Many of these were microfilmed from collections of the Panama Canal Zone Library and the National Archives. A list of the reels is forthcoming. Titles include:
Over 150 items in a variety of formats including audio cassettes, audio reels, VHS tapes, Beta tapes, U-Matic tapes, CDs, DVDs, and films (8mm and 16mm). Many of these items were created by individuals and families as home movies.
To search for AV materials, use the PCMI inventory database.
The PCMC oral history program preserves the stories and memories of the individuals who lived and worked at the Canal. Includes almost 200 audio or video recordings of interviews, as well as personal written narratives. New interviews are being conducted, transcribed, and made available online regularly. In addition to oral history interviews, the collection includes written memoirs and personal narratives and stories.
Maps relating to the Canal Zone or Panama are primarily preserved in the Map & Imagery Library. Additionally, numerous maps can be discovered as part of papers, ephemera, artifacts, art, publications, etc.
Note that many maps are not cataloged at this time. Consult with curators when searching for maps.
To search for maps, use the library catalog and the PCMI inventory database.
Approximately 9,500 objects. PCMC has an extensive collection of artifacts and art from Panama, the Panama Canal, and the Canal Zone. General categories include but are not limited to:
To search for artifacts and art, use the PCMI inventory database.
This guide was last updated September 12, 2025.
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