The bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by Japan on December 7, 1941 officially catapulted America into World War II. In San Antonio, wartime rationing limited commerce and brought most non-military construction to a standstill. At the same time, the potential threat of aerial bombardment and the need to strengthen Pan-American alliances with our neighbors to the south introduced new sights, sounds, and activities to the civilian population.
Discover intriguing aspects of San Antonio's war years with this exhibit created from historic photos and documents. Many of the images come from the Rosemary Son Collection, which features photos taken of and by Mrs. Son's father, Preston Louis Anderson. Anderson served as the San Antonio Fire and Police Commissioner, and occasionally as acting mayor, from 1941 to 1947.
- The exhibit consists of 15 pages. The images are interrelated, so to get the full story, we recommend going in order from start to finish. However, you may click the Table of Contents to select any image to view.
- Several exhibit pages include links to other websites where you can find more detailed information on a particular topic. These are highlighted in green.
- Clicking on an image opens an enlarged version in a new window.
- You can also click the link provided for most photos to access the full record in our Online Catalog.
- List of Exhibit Sources.
- View other Virtual Exhbits here.
- History & photo documentation was compiled by Librarian Beth Standifird and Consultant Elizabeth Pople.
- Funding from the Society's Capital Club made this exhibit possible.
- Exhibit Home Page will return to this page of the exhibit.
- Library Home Page will take you to the Library web page.
- Table of Contents takes you to a list of individual images. You may jump to any one by clicking View Full Record.
- Jump to Beginning will return you to the first content page of the exhibit.
- Jump to End takes you to the last content page.
Exhibit Navigation Tips:
