The cities of Cebu and Cagayan de Oro share a common heritage in the Cebuano language, which is lingua franca in both areas. That’s because many of the residents of both cities have business and family connections either in one or both cities which is evident in the coffee table book now exhibited at the atrium of SM Cagayan de Oro until Sunday, July 4, 2010.

  Oche Pelaez, Benjo Benaldo and Butch Chan cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Launched June 29, the exhibit features blown up samples of the almost 600 photographs from “Glimpses of Old Cebu” a 260-page coffee table book by Lucy Urgello Miller, a Cebuana now based in California who traces her roots to the country’s oldest city. Among the luminaries present at the launching were Liceo de Cagayan Oche Pelaez and daughter-in-law Tanya, Region 10 Tourism Director Butch Chan, Cagayan de Oro First District Congressman Benjo Benaldo, City Tourism Board Member Estela Sison, City Heritage Council Members Eileen San Juan and Patsy Velez-Gaid, and  Museo de Oro resident artist Nonoy Estarte.

      Cebu Port circa April 1915.                                  Cebu Railroad Station circa 1910.

According to the brief sketch of the author delivered by former Cagayan de Oro Press Club Uriel Quilinguing, Miller was born in the “Queen City of the South” in 1948 to Manuel Urgello and Milagros Valenzuela, the 1937 Carnival Queen of Cebu. When her mother passed away when she was two, she was adopted by her aunt, Milagros Espina Urgello.

     Calle Magallanes circa 1918.                                 Plaza Parian circa 1915.

While still a student in St. Theresa’s College Ms. Miller already had a penchant for collecting old photographs as a member of the photography club. When she moved to the US in 1974, her passion for collecting photographs continued. Her second husband Richard Miller is also a teacher and a collector of old car literature.

    Shoppers viewing the exhibit.                            Ivy Guantero, Oche Pelaez and Benjo

                                                                                             Benaldo during the book presentation.

The press release from SM said the book is a unique collection of some 600 of the best photographs, postcards, stereoviews and lantern glass slides of Cebu and its many towns taken between 1899 and 1940 which are the pick of the litter from over 1,000 images collected over the past 20 years by Miller.

   An 'Arco' in front of Lalk's Restaurant            The aptly named Mango Avenue circa

   circa 1910.                                                                   1927.

Among the unique images are rare photos of the war against the Americans, the first Cebu Carnival, the great typhoon of 1912, the sensational Fuente murders of 1915 (you can’t fault present day TV networks and newspapers for tabloid journalism, this was already a trend 95 years ago!), the slaying of four American teachers in 1902. Cebu’s progress as a town and then as a young city are chronicled in the book through pictures of streets, private and government edifices. These are complemented by pictures taken of Cebu’s towns, their churches, prominent streets and public works infrastructure. Dr. Rene Gaid delightedly related how now he knows where Mango Avenue got its name.

So why has SM brought the exhibit to Cagayan de Oro?

“Many Kagay-anons have to Cebu and learning about is past would make us better appreciate what it is today,” said Globien Salcedo, Brand Manager, SM Cagayan de Oro, in her welcome remarks. “Instead of traveling all the way to Cebu, SM has brought the exhibit here instead.”

    Ivy Guantero and Oche Pelaez poring               A shopper views the photo exhibit.

    over 'Glimpses of Old Cebu.'

SM Cagayan de Oro Public Relations Officer Ivy Guantero said the book is part of a series of publications issued by the University of San Carlos Press in connection with the Diamond Jubilee of the administration of USC by the SVD Fathers this year.  Collectors and libraries can buy the book at P2,500 from SM City Cagayan de Oro Mall Administration Office until July 4, 2010, USC Main Campus (Tel. 032-2531000 loc. 175), On-line at USC Press (www.usc.edu.ph), On-line at Libros Filipinos Bookshop (http://www.libros.com.ph/)

The exhibit is made possible by the University of San Carlos Press , the Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Inc. and SM City Cagayan de Oro.