Marcel Bosque's Photo Album

This photograph album was curated by Marcelo "Marcel" Cardona Bosque. It includes photographs of Marcel, his relatives, including Luis and Guillermo Bosque, and other manongs. They are pictured in agricultural fields and labor camps and at military bases and navy ports. The album also includes several photographs of Marcel and other men with white and Filipina women. Most of the women's names are unknown. However, Marcel's daughter, Sharon Bosque Hoffmann remembers her father referring to two of the reoccuring white women by first names and nicknames. In the descriptions below these two women are identified as "Helen" and "the collegiate." Most of the photographs were taken in California as Marcel and the other manongs migrated through the central valley and along the coast and enlisted in the Filipino Infantry during World War II. Their dates range from the early 1930s through the 1940s. The album itself has many loose or missing photographs, some of the pages were torn, and the binding was fragile. This suggests that Marcel and others viewed the album often. Marcel kept the album along with other prized items that he carried with him on the migrant labor circuit.

Page 1: This page includes five photographs. Photo 1 shows Guillermo Bosque next to Marcel's Dodge. The car has a Livermore Rodeo Banner on the front. Photo 2 shows Luis Bosque wearing a military uniform at Camp Beale. Photo 3 shows an unknown man holding a large champagne bottle. Photo 4 shows Marcel in the snow next to his car. The caption reads 5 photographs "Marcel with his Halloween Hat." Photo 5 shows a car in the snow. The caption reads "Denver Weather, ha ha ha."
Page 2: This page includes eight photographs. Photo 1 shows Marcel (left) and a group of unknown people. Photo 2 is an unknown couple. Photo 3 is Pete Alvior (left), unknown, and Marcel (right). Photo 4 shows Marcel with an unknown woman. Photo 5 shows Ted Tejada with an unknown child on a ship. Photo 6 is Marcel (left) and Max Lamar. Photo 7 is Marcel (left) with an unknown man. Photo 8 is a small image of an unknown girl.
Page 3: This page includes six photographs. Photo 1 is an unknown man with two unknown girls in front of Marcel's car. Photo 2 is Marcel wearing a uniform with four unknown people. Photo 3 shows three men in uniform, the man in the middle is Luis Bosque. Photo 4 is a large group of unknown people. Marcel is standing in the top row wearing a uniform. Photo 5 is a large group of people standing on a ship. Ted Tejada is wearing a uniform in the front row on the far right. Photo 6 is a large group photo taken at Connie Bernasil's wedding.
Page 4: This page includes six photographs. Photo 1 is an unknown man on a horse. Photo 2 shows two unknown men posed near a field. Photo 3 shows Marcel riding a horse. Photo 4 shows a group of unknown people posed in front of a car. Photo 5 depicts Marcel posed outside. Photo 6 shows an unknown man in a military uniform.
Page 5: This page includes five photographs. Photo 1 shows an unknown man and woman. Photo 2 depicts an unknown man in uniform. Photo 3 shows an unknown man and woman. Photo 4 shows Marcel and Luis Bosque in front of Marcel's car. Photo 5 is of a group of people. Marcel is wearing a uniform on the left.
Page 6: This page has three photographs. Photo 1 is Luis Bosque in a military uniform at Camp Beale. Photo 2 is a woman standing outside. A note on the back is addressed to Marcel from Liz Aguilar. Photo 3 is a portrait of a woman known as Helen.
Page 7: This page has six photographs. Photo 1 shows a group of people at Connie Bernasil's wedding. Photo 2 is Marcel in his car. Photo 3 is a group of manongs likely taken in 1929 (see close up image). Photo 4 was taken at Connie Bernasil's wedding. Photo 5 is a group of people with Marcel on the left wearing a uniform. Photo 6 is another picture taken at Connie Bernasil's wedding.
Page 8: This page includes one photograph of a manong named Manny and Marcel (right).
Page 9: This page includes seven photographs. Photo 1 and 2 are of Connie Bernasil's wedding. Photo 3 shows an unknown man and woman. Photo 4 is a group of men. Luis Bosque is wearing a uniform on the far right. Photo 5 is an unknown man and woman. Photo 6 depicts people standing near a car. Photo 7 is an unknown man and Marcel (right) walking with a horse.
Page 10: This page includes six photographs. Photo 1 shows Marcel posing outside. Photo 2 is Luis Bosque wearing a uniform at Camp Beale. Photo 3 shows someone sitting on a balcony. Photo 4 shows an unknown woman posed outside. Photo 5 is an unknown woman holding a baby. Photo 6 is an unknown woman and man.
Page 11: This page includes six photographs. Photo 1 is Marcel (left) and an unknown man posed outside. Photo 2 is of an unknown woman. Photo 3 is Marcel (left) and two unknown people. Photo 4 shows a house next two a pond. Photo 5 is a candid picture of people in a field. Photo 6 depicts Pete Alvior, an unknown man, and Marcel Bosque in suits.
Page 12: This page includes three photographs. Photo 1 shows Marcel with a woman he called "the collegiate." Photo 2 depicts an unknown couple. Photo 3 shows Marcel wearing a suit.
Page 13: This page includes four photographs. Photo 1 shows a group of people in front of a truck. Photo 2 shows Marcel posed in front of his car. Photo 3 shows two men wearing trench coats and two women. Marcel is on the right. Photo 4 is an unknown man and woman.
Page 14: This page includes six photographs. Photo 1 is an unknown man with Luis Bosque (right). Photo 2 is of an unknown man. Photo 3 is a portrait of Marcel. Photo 4 is a group of manong posed in front of a car. Marcel is second from the left. Photo 5 shows Marcel and Helen posed in front of a ship. Photo 6 shows Marcel and two unknown manong posing in front of Marcel's car.
Page 15: This page includes six photographs. Photo 1 shows the manongs with Marcel on the right. Photo 2 depicts an unknown woman. Photo 3 is a small image of Marcel. Photo 4 depicts a man named Manny with an unknown child. Photo 5 shows a group of manongs. The man in white is Max Lamar. Marcel is on the far right. Photo 5 is a small image of an unknown woman.
Page 16: This page includes four photographs. Photo 1 is an unknown man and woman sitting on a car. Photo 2 is a group of men and women Marcel is on the left and Mike Buencoupo is kneeling. Photo 3 shows an unknown man, woman, and Mike Buencoupo. Photo 4 depicts an unknown woman wearing a uniform and hat.
Page 17: This page includes six photographs. Photo 1 is of a woman named Helen in a car. Photo 2 shows Helen and Marcel. Photo 3 and 4 are of unknown men. Photo 5 depicts Helen. Photo 6 shows a group of men and children at a labor camp. On the left is Guillermo Bosque, second from the right is Luis Bosque, and on the far right is Marcel Bosque.
Page 18: This page includes three photographs. Photo 1 depicts Marcel Bosque with an unknown woman wearing a uniform. Photo 2 shows three men in front of a ship. Marcel is standing in the middle. Photo 3 shows two men in front of a car. Marcel is on the left.
Page 19: This page includes five photographs all taken at a labor camp. Photo 1 shows two unknown men. Photo 2 shows an unknown man and Luis Bosque (right). Photo 3 shows three men. Luis Bosque is in the center and Marcel is on the right. Photo 4 shows a group of men. Luis is on the far right. Photo 5 shows a group of men with Luis on the right.
Page 20: This page includes one photograph. It depicts an a woman known as "the collegiate" (middle) with two Filipinas.
Page 21: This page has four photographs. Photo 1 shows Marcel in his car. Photo 2 shows manongs posing in the field. In the front row are Pete Alvior, Max Lamar, and Marcel. Photo 3 shows three men in uniform at Camp Beale. Luis Bosque is in the center. Photo 4 shows four manongs posed in front of a car.
Page 22: This page has four photographs. Photo 1 is a candid image of a group of people. Photo 2 shows Marcel leaning against a car. Photo 3 shows a group of Bosque manongs with an unidentified woman. Photo 4 shows members of the Bosque family.
Page 23: This page has six photographs. Photo 1 is an image of Marcel with an inscription that reads "sincerely yours, Marcel." Photo 2, 3, and 4 depict unknown men. Photos 5-7 show Bosque manong with an unidentified woman (see close up image). Photo 5 shows her posed with Guillermo Bosque. Photo 6 shows her posed with Dionocio Bosque. Photo 7 shows her posed with Luis Bosque.
Page 24: This page includes one photograph. It depicts the woman known as "the collegiate" sitting on the front of Marcel's car.
Page 25: This page includes six photographs. Photos 1 and 2 show a group of men eating in the fields. Marcel is pictured in the back left. Photo 3 is a studio photograph of two unknown men that was sent from the Philippines. Photo 4 is an unknown woman. Photo 5 is a portrait of Helen. Photo 6 is a group of laborers. Marcel is in the middle of the group.
Page 26: This page includes four photographs. Photo 1 is Luis Bosque in uniform at Camp Beale. It is dated May 15, 1943. Photo 2 is group of unknown people. Photo 3 shows three men at Camp Beale. Luis Bosque is on the right. Photo 4 shows two unknown men and a woman.
Page 27: This page includes four photographs. Photo 1 is Marcel and an unknown man posed by Marcel's car. Photo 2 shows three men in uniform at Camp Beale. Photo 3 shows a group of men in from of Marcel's car. Marcel is in the middle. Photo 4 show a group of men in front of Marcel's car.
Page 28: This page includes six photographs. Photo 1 is an unknown man posed behind a plant. Photo 2 is Marcel (left) and an unknown man. Photo 3 is an unknown man and Luis Bosque (right). Photo 4 shows two men posed in front of a car. Photo 5 shows Helen and Marcel. Photo 6 is a studio photograph of Marcel.

Marcelo "Marcel" Cardona Bosque

c. 1929-1940s

Sharon Bosque-Wiebe Hoffmann

Watsonville is in the Heart (WIITH) is a community-driven public history initiative to preserve and uplift stories of Filipino migration and labor in the city of Watsonville and greater Pajaro Valley. Images were donated and digitally reproduced from private collections of individuals and families. Copyright remains with original owners. All images included herein are intended for personal or educational use only. Any reproduction, redistribution, publication, or other use, by any means, without prior written permission is prohibited. Please note that the images on this website are not included at their full resolution. For permission to publish or reproduce and for higher resolution files, please contact the project director at wiith@ucsc.edu . If you are the rightful copyright holder of this item and its use online constitutes an infringement of your copyright, please contact the project director to discuss its removal from the archive.

13.5x11 inches

Physical Object

HOF.2021.52; HOF.2021.56-HOF.2021.83

Photograph Album