18/09/2025
Throwback Thursday: πΈ Sorsogon City, Bicol Region β 1934 πΊοΈ Southeast Luzon Island, Philippines π· Photographer: Robert Larimore Pendleton (1890β1957). ποΈ Image: John Tewell Collection
A moment frozen in time. This 1934 photograph by American soil scientist and geographer Robert Larimore Pendleton captures the quiet dignity of Sorsogon City in the early 20th centuryβbefore highways, malls, and modern sprawl.
Pendleton, known for his work across Southeast Asia and the Philippines, documented landscapes not just for science, but for posterity. His lens reveals a Bicol that was coastal, agricultural, and deeply rooted in local rhythms.
πΎ Sorsogon, at the southern tip of Luzon, has long been a gateway to heritageβwhere volcanic soil meets resilient communities. π Pendletonβs work, archived in U.S. and university collections, offers rare glimpses into pre-war Philippine life.
This image reminds us: every province has a story worth preserving. Every frame, a portal to who we wereβand who we still are.