Photograph of the Yacht YANKEE Under Full Sail

black-and-white photograph

Black and white photograph 2 3/4in x 2 3/4in. Reverse inscription: “414”; “Excuse the stain !!”; “R A Dillon” (stamp; blue ink). Yankee under full sail, starboard side from a distance. Date and location not provided, but context and inventory number (413) suggest somewhere near Canton Island. Although contested, Canton was part of the British-controlled Gilbert and Ellice Islands before WWII. Currently, Canton is considered part of the Phoenix Islands of the Republic of Kiribati. The airfield at Canton was used by both British and American forces during WWII and after the war continued to be used as a major stop for commercial trans-Pacific airlines.