This late 19th-century photograph offers a rare rooftop-level panorama of a Manila neighborhood, likely within the walled district of Intramuros, during the final years of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. Terracotta tile roofs and a whitewashed cupola dominate the foreground, while a Gothic Revival church tower rises in the distance, illustrating the blend of religious and civic architecture that characterized the city before the destruction of the Second World War. Images such as this were often taken by American military personnel or civilian photographers documenting the Philippines around the time of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the subsequent Philippine-American War. Project: 218497