The Former Philippines Thru Foreign Eyes

Fedor Jagor

1816–1900

A German traveler, ethnographer, and collector, he spent years exploring South, Southeast, and East Asia and helped introduce many European readers to the Philippines and nearby regions. His journeys fed a lifelong curiosity about people, cultures, and the natural world.

Rudolf Virchow

1821–1902

A towering figure in 19th-century medicine, he helped reshape how doctors think about disease by tracing illness to changes in the body’s cells. His work reached far beyond the laboratory, into public health, politics, and anthropology.

Charles Wilkes

1798–1877

Best known for leading the United States Exploring Expedition, this naval officer helped map and document parts of the Pacific and Antarctica in the early 1840s. His life later took a dramatic turn during the Civil War, when his role in the Trent Affair nearly sparked a clash with Britain.