La catedral, Habana (1900). Public domain / mediadrumworld.com

By Liana Jacob

CUBA’S CULTURAL significance has been revealed in coloured retro photographs following Hurricane Irma passing its centre in the weekend.

The beautiful pictures unveil the utopian appearance of El Templete and Gran Hotel Inglaterra in Havana over one hundred years ago.

Gran Hotel Inglaterra, Habana (1900). Public domain / mediadrumworld.com

Other images show the weather-shifting panoramic view of El parapeto de la Cabana with a guard standing among a row of canons, while another picture illustrates a contrast in weather showing Restos del USS Maine sailing passed with a clear-blue sky.

Further landscapes show the quaint portrait of a man and his mule dragging a carriage with another smartly-dressed man looking at him.

Muelle San Francisco, Havana, Cuba (1904). Public domain / mediadrumworld.com

The Caribbean island state borders the Gulf of Mexico, which has recently been affected by tropical storm Katia, which has formed into a hurricane right after Hurricane Irma, the category five storm.

Hurricane Irma passed central Cuba and surrounding Caribbean islands during the weekend.

Monumento a los Bomberos, Habana (1900). Public domain / mediadrumworld.com

Cuba’s capital city is Havana, the largest metropolis of the Caribbean, and is one Cuban city that has been affected by the hurricane.

The climate is tropical and is characterised by the north-eastern pass. There is a drier season from November to April and a rainy season from May to October.

El mar de la Cabana (1900). Public domain / mediadrumworld.com

Cuba is in the zone of tropical hurricanes that form annually from June to November above the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

Three major hurricanes hit Cuba in 2008; Gustav, Ike and Paloma.

Pila de la India, Habana (1900). Public domain / mediadrumworld.com

Pictures like this are featured in a new book on iconic colourised photographs called Retrographic, by author Michael D. Carroll. The book is currently available to pre-order on amazon for £19.95.

For more information visit https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Retrographic-Historys-Most-Important-Images-Living-Colour/1908211504?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1