Photo of the Week
August 28, 2022

This week's photo is a real treasure that was recently sent in to CZ Images by contributor Chris McManus.  For years now I have come across lots of old photos with the name "J. Fisher" written in white on the photo and always wanted more information about him.  Well, here is photo of Fisher in the field with the 4th Field Artillery Camp at Fort Clayton Canal Zone.  Fisher must have taken thousands of photos in his time in the Canal Zone.  See more images and information about Fisher below:

Click the links below to see more about Fisher:

http://czimages.com/CZMemories/Fort_Clayton/Clayton106.htm  Aerial photo of Ft. Clayton in 1927

http://czimages.com/CZMemories/Photos/photoof519.htm  One of my favorite Fisher photos with Fisher himself on the Amador Causeway

http://czimages.com/CZMemories/Photos/photoof1171.htm Great photo of the Panama Railroad hauling a 16" gun

http://czimages.com/CZMemories/Photos/photoof520.htm Another Fisher photo taken at Ft. Amador during and inspection of equipment

http://czimages.com/CZMemories/Photos/photoof98.htm  Grand Fisher photo at Ft. Kobbe of a 16" gun.

http://czimages.com/CZMemories/Fort_Clayton/FC_index.htm My presentation of Fort Clayton through the years.

Notes from Chris McManus:

My own connection to the Canal Zone is interesting.  My father was stationed in the Zone twice. Once as a shavetail lieutenant in the 4th Field Artillery, 1927-30.  At that time his father was also stationed in the CZ, as chief of staff to Gen. Malin Craig.  

The second time was 20 years later, 1946-48. My father was Secretary of the General Staff to Gen Willis Crittenberger.  I was a year-old infant at the start of this tour.  

On his first tour in the Canal Zone, my father met my mother who was visiting. On the second tour, my sister met her future husband as a classmate at Balboa High School.  

I have several pages from a photo album made during my father's first tour.  They are about 40 photos, all pictures of 4th Field Artillery activities, several labeled as by Jack Fisher. All were made by Fisher in his role as US Army photographer, so I assume there are no copyright issues.

The picture shown is labeled Jack Fisher, US Army photographer - a little shooting. I think he means that he is the subject of the photo. (If he were just the photographer he would label the photo Fisher or J Fisher. 

I searched for Jack Fisher on Ancestry.com. I came up with one hit that seems to be our man.

 In the 1940 census there is a John Fisher living at Chanute Field in Illinois, with occupation listed as soldier. He is John Fisher, age 51, single, born in Germany. The census asked where people lived in 1935, and his answer was the Canal Zone, Panama. According to other records he was born March 28, 1888 and died March 25, 1945 in Salt Lake City.