Maps: Location of the 2500 Acre Plantation Belonging to the United States Banana Co., circa 1910

This collection documents the business and personal life of Wilfred A. Joubert (1867-1940), an American businessman from Massachusetts. The materials cover Mr. Joubert’s time in Suriname (Dutch Guiana), where he harvested balata (an early latex product) for the American Exploitation Company; and Chiapas, Mexico, where he exported rubber for the Rio Michol Rubber Plantation Company and bananas for the United States Banana Company. The collection contains maps, legal documents, correspondence, receipts, photographs, and other materials related to these business ventures. In addition to Mr. Joubert’s international business materials, the collection also contains posters, correspondence, schedules, and marketing materials related to Mr. Joubert’s involvement in the Redpath Lyceum circuit, where he toured the United States and lectured on the “Mexican Situation” while promoting World War I Victory Bonds. Included in this collection is a scrapbook of newspaper clippings that cover the American view of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), as well as reviews of Mr. Joubert’s lecture and other materials compiled by Mr. Joubert. The scrapbook is of particular interest as it contains a note signed by Pancho Villa (1878-1923), authorizing a payment for a repair.