1953 Identification Booklet for the Sanatorio La Milagrosa Illustrating the Institutional Reach of the Women’s Organization, Asociación de Católicas Cubanas, in Republican Havana

On offer is a small-format identification booklet (carnet) issued by the Asociación de Católicas Cubanas for the Sanatorio La Milagrosa in Havana, dated March 9, 1953.

Completed in manuscript, the document identifies Hortensia Rodríguez de Sánchez, a 37-year-old married woman originally from Camagüey. The booklet retains an original photographic portrait of Rodriguez, and bears the authorization signatures of the association’s officers, alongside a stamped registration number, No. F-10986.

This item serves as a primary record of the private, faith-based medical infrastructure that existed in Republican-era Cuba.

The Sanatorio La Milagrosa was the flagship medical project of the Asociación de Católicas Cubanas, a prominent lay organization for women. The facility was housed in a mid-19th-century colonial mansion in Havana’s Cerro district, formerly the palace of the Marquis of Almendares. In this period, such carnets represented more than just medical access; they were the entry point into structured social and religious support networks that functioned parallel to the state.

Following the 1959 Revolution, the institution was nationalized and continues to operate today as a state pediatric hospital. The document provides a snapshot of the institutional reach of Catholic social work in the 1950s and includes a printer’s imprint on the rear for Carnet Belmonte, Monte 60 – Habana.

Condition: Small-format booklet with textured green covers and silver stamping. Manuscript entries throughout with an affixed photographic portrait. Moderate age toning, edge wear, and handling marks consistent with use. Internally complete and fully legible with the photograph remaining intact and clear. Overall Good.