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La fotografía que se muestra abajo, se encontró en un álbum de fotografías familiar. Fue una gran sorpresa encontrarla en la páginal del Diario de Costa Rica que presentó algunos de los participantes en el concurso. En la fotografía está escrito, al frente 1939; el concurso fue en noviembre de 1941. Eladio y Carmen tenían 14 años cumplidos en 1941. Bien podría ser una fotografía vieja, o la fecha al frente se la puso alguien luego, sin hacer cuentas. ¡Los enredos de esta naturaleza no solo se presentan con materiales en álbumes familiars sino también en materiales que se encuentran en instituciones pues cualquiera puede poner un número con la mejor intención.
Desempolvando archivos fotográficos de Costa Rica y su contexto es la novena actividad del ciclo de conferencias y conversatorios sobre “Fotografía Costarricense en el marco del Bicentenario” organizado por la Biblioteca Nacional con la colaboración de las investigadoras académicas y artistas visuales Sussy Vargas y Mariechen Wust.
Durante esta charla, se presentarán materiales fotográficos, incluyendo algunas páginas de libros, que he tenido la oportunidad de estudiar, digitalizar y analizar, logrando así conectarlos con un hecho en el pasado, su uso en el momento, así como los usos posteriores de estas imágenes.
A los 200 años de celebrar nuestra independencia, escogí intencionalmente para el programa fotografías de personas en desfiles: participantes y público (las señoras). Las actividades en grupo: desfiles, conciertos, charlas y sus espectadores, nos ayudan a crear un sentido de unidad y celebración los cuales son muy importante en todas las sociedades.
Las fotografías que se mostraron en la charla. representan experiencias de personas que nadie más que ellos y el fotógrafo compartieron. Fotógrafos y retratados son nuestros antecesores y nos sirven para reflexionar acerca de nuestro país y su gente, los hechos que acontecieron en el pasado y cómo todas estas generaciones de personas utilizaron su trabajo, educación, sueños de superación, en conjunto con materiales como barro, baldosas, adobe, tejas, zinc, bueyes, tranvía, trenes, camiones y entre otros, para forjar la sociedad de Costa Rica que disfrutamos hoy en día.
Como bien se observa en las fotografías el ayer y el hoy mantienen el cordón umbilical, no se pueden separar. Este hoy que vivimos, está íntimamente ligado al futuro y cae en nuestros hombros definir cómo será el país que le dejaremos a futuras generaciones.
Esta reseña presenta detalles alrededor de la impresión y diagramado del Libro Azul de Costa Rica. Se utilizó información encontrada en diarios y revistas de Costa Rica de la época, desde 1915 cuando se inició el proceso de creación del libro hasta su venta en 1916. Además, analiza por qué y cómo se creó una sección de fotos de estudio de mujeres que aparecen en algunos de estos libros al inicio o al final, y las formas de promoción utilizadas para la venta del libro y del Álbum de Bellezas que se imprimió con estas fotografías. Se encontró que los editores, a través de una campaña de publicidad enfocada en la “blancura, homogeneidad y belleza” de la mujer costarricense, promocionaron un Certamen de Belleza abierto a todas las madres, hijas, esposas, hermanas y novias. La votación se realizó utilizando los cupones que aparecieron impresos en algunos periódicos y revistas costarricenses, y por suscripción para anunciarse en las páginas del Libro Azul. Frases utilizadas para la promoción del concurso, como “tipos legítimos de mujeres,” el “bello sexo” y la importancia de que en el exterior se conozcan “no solo la República y sus riquezas…, sino también la índole de sus habitantes …” denotan el eurocentrismo de la época, una continuación de las categorías raciales que se iniciaron durante la colonia. Lo anterior también invita a reflexionar acerca alrededor del privilegio del género masculino de raza blanca, los conflictos sexistas y raciales en pleno siglo XXI, en conjunto con las técnicas básicas de publicidad utilizadas en la actualidad, no muy diferentes de las utilizadas hace más de 100 años.
*Harrison Nathaniel Rudd. NY Heritage Digital Collection
These small postcards found in family albums and antique shops represent the start of photography at massive scale. The “portrait cards” or cartes de visite, CDV, (name by which they were known throughout the world), were small albumen print impressions, of sizes around 3.5 x 2 in (8.9 x 5.1 cm). Printed on very thin paper, the CDV were mounted on cardboard of approximately 4 by 2.5 in (10.2 x 6.4 cm).
André Adolphe Disdéri. Portrait of an Unidentified Woman, c.1860-65. Uncut albumen print from a carte-de-visite negative. Gernsheim Collection, Humanities Research Center, University of Texas, Austin. Source: Rosemblum N. A World History of Photography, 3rd ed. 1997 p.63
The process and camera to create CDV were developed by the French photographer André Adolphe Disdéri (1819-1889) in 1854. Disdéri patented the method of producing photographic clichés from collodion, albumin, and glass. To take the photographs, four, six, eight, and in some cases up to twelve, objectives were incorporated into the camera, maximizing performance and reducing the cost of producing. (5)
This photography genre quickly became popular throughout the world. In 1857, Queen Victoria of England contributed to its popularity with CDV of the entire royal family, and in 1859, C. D. Frederick brought them to New York.
Because of its low cost compared to painting and daguerreotype, CDV can be almost thought as the “selfies” of the of the second half of the 19th century. For example, during the Civil War in the United States, soldiers and their families used CDV to create a souvenir before leaving for war. Soldiers kept CDV between the pages of a Bible or in a uniform pocket. Such was the popularity of photography at this time that between 1864 and 1866, the government of the United States imposed a luxury tax on photographs. The photographers had to put a postage stamp to each photo sold, according to the price of the image. The post stamp of 2 cents paid for prints that cost less than 25 cents is shown in the attached picture.
Gradually, studio portrait techniques used mainly for the privileged class were adapted to the bourgeoisie and the middle class. Painted backdrops emulating iconic European landscapes, elegant chairs and kneelers, balustrades, books and elements that were symbols of the people in power, intellectuals, or artists, became part of the representations of anyone who could afford a photograph. Undoubtedly, fashion and hair style of both men and women, are elements that today help to identify the decade in which the photograph was taken. In some cases, the studio had dressing rooms and lended clothes and jewelry to the customers.
Group of people, England
The small format of these photographs limited the space to accommodate groups. Most of the CDV were portraits of subjects alone or couples, posing in a studio. Even so, there are cartes de visite with groups of people. Children and the elderly were the most difficult sitters since they moved a lot.
Couple with two dead children
Post-mortem portrait, especially of young children, was practiced during the Victorian era. The photograph on the right shows a couple with two dead children. This visiting card was purchased in the United States, and the date of the portrait is unknown. The thin cardboard that serves as a support, and the beautiful golden lines, as well as the outfits of the young couple holding the children in their arms, indicate that the CDV was taken around 1860s to1870s. The cardboard does not show a mark of the photographer, indicator of its low cost, perhaps produced by a traveling photographer.
The peak of cartes de visite was in 1860, with moderate use during the first decades of the 20th century. Cards were collected and stored in personalized albums, with leather covers and the name of the owner. By 1920, with the appearance of other photography formats such as Cabinet, Victoria, and Promenade (more substantial) or much smaller, Mignon, the use of cartes de visite discontinued in Europe and in the United States.
The traveling photographers commercialized the “exotic world” with photographs of people from different parts of the world, their customs, buildings, and landscapes.
“This photograph documenting Gordon’s condition created a sensation when it reached the public, and quickly became one of the most powerful proofs of slavery’s brutality.” 6
Cartes de visite were also used for racial exploitation, perpetuating stereotypes. CDV also helped to divulgate injustices, social struggles, or to promote leaders.
In Latin America, cartes de visite were also very popular. There are large archives of cartes de visite in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Mexico, and Cuba. Costa Rica also embraced this photography format. In Costa Rica, photographers also emulated the style of portrait used for painting for the cartes de visite. The ladies were dressed neatly, wearing sophisticated hairstyles and dresses, complementing the attire with Spanish shawls or “mantillas”, embroidered or lace collars and jewelry, which highlighted their aristocratic status. It was common the display of religious elements, such as rosaries, medals, and crucifixes on the chest, or books that hinted at the intellectuality or religiosity of the subject portrayed. Since cartes de visite competed with the genre of painting, many were colored, technique known as “illuminating” a photograph.
In her book “La Mirada del Tiempo,” (8) the photographer Sussy Vargas mentions William Buchanan, as the person who introduced the cartes de visit to Costa Rica. Buchanan was an itinerant photographer of English origin, who arrived at Costa Rica in 1852. He traveled frequently, to the United States and went to several Central American countries and Mexico.
At present, we still find cartes to visit in Costa Rica, dating from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Some were taken by the US photographer Harrison Nathaniel Rudd (1840-1917), and by the Paynter Brothers. Others followed Rudd and the Paynter Brothers, including the new photographers Felix Robert, Hermanos Hernández and Manuel Gómez Miralles. During the 1930s, Gómez Miralles was still making cartes de visite, to commemorate the day of First Communion of many children of the Central Valley. The carte de visite gave way to the “closet postcards;” the photographers imported thicker papers for their photographs, adopted the use of gelatin silver print instead of albumen print. By 1950, photographers stopped making of cartes de visite in Costa Rica.
The universal success of the cartes de visite, along with other processes of the late nineteenth century such as stereograms and magic lanterns, contributed to improve photographic techniques, materials, and equipment. These small photographs are an invaluable source of visual information regarding fashion and trends, the photographers and the evolution of the printing industry. Like any photograph, cartes de visite are subject to deterioration. Proper care and storage are necessary to preserve these small fragments of the visual history of a community.
If you enjoyed this article, share it with others. Comments and questions are welcome.
Cheers,
—Alejandra Chaverri
Diciembre, 2018
*Harrison Nathaniel Rudd (1840-1917) fue un fotógrafo de Estados Unidos que se mudó a Costa Rica in 1873. Durante 40 años practicó la fotografía en Costa Rica, documentando la vida cotidiana y los cambios que ocurrieron en el país al final del siglo XIX. Él murió en San Diego, California en 1917. Esta fotografía pertenece a los archivos militares del estado de New York. Rudd se enlistó como soldado durante la Guerra Civil de Estados Unidos, en 1862 y fue dado de alta en 1865.
Referencias
1. Darrah, W. C. (1981) Cartes de Visite in Nineteenth Century Photography. Gettisburg, PA, W. C. Darrah Publishing.
8.Vargas S., Alvarado, I., Hernández, E. (2004) 1st. ed. La Mirada del Tiempo. Historia de la Fotografía en Costa Rica 1948-2003. Fundación Museos del Banco Central de Costa Rica.
Familia Chaverri Benavides Circa 1930Hand bound book
To gain experience with digital software and equipment, in 1999 I digitized the albums my father created around the 1950s, with photographs his family sent him while studying overseas. I spend months removing the mold’s damage and cracks and repairing the faces, hands, and apparels of various of my ancestors. I also discovered how to use curves to adjust tone, contrast and its correlation with my venerated process in the dark room. Even more, I started to paint over black and white digital files. Painting photographs, known as “illuminating” black and white photographs, was very popular during the first fifty or so years of photography. This first course of digital photography culminated with a family book. It was a limited edition of eleven books, all hand-bounded, one for each of the Chaverri Benavides uncles or aunts.
Shortly after finishing the family book, I connected with the historian and photography collector, Manrique Álvarez Rojas, and digitized glass plates from his personal collection. This was the beginning of my bewitching with one of the first Costa Rican photographers, Manuel Gómez Miralles (1876-1965). From Manrique’s glass plates, 38 images were prepared for display. The first exhibition took place at the Casa de la Cultura in Heredia, Costa Rica in September 2005. The show was also presented in other venues in San José, including the French Alliance and the Costa Rica Country Club.
From that moment on, the search for old photographic archives and conducting research occupies a significant part of my time. I currently focus on Costa Rica old documents, and the photographic processes that became very popular all over the world, which also impacted the development of photography in Costa Rica. Among the most popular are reproductions, cartes de visite, postcards, stereograms, magic lanterns, and the small cards that came inside cigarette’s packs. One of the archives that impacted me is the collection of photographs that the United Fruit Co. donated to the Baker Library, Harvard University. Together with their vast agricultural records, images depict the building of the cities of Golfito and Quepos. Sadly, nowadays, there are just a few documents from the past of these two cities in Costa Rica. Besides, I have the honor of working with archives of foreign and Costa Rican photographers. Some of them are Harrison Nathaniel Rudd (1840-1917), the Paynter Brothers, Amando Céspedes Marín (1881-1976), Mario Roa Velázquez (1917-2004), Mario Ramírez Villalobos (1919-2001) and Alfonso Barahona Solano (1929-2013), and collections belonging to families in Costa Rica.
Ismael Chaverri Rojas. Circa 1920
I am concerned over the deterioration caused by time in all the archives studied. The physical, biological and chemical decline, in many cases, could be slowed down using the proper storage conditions for all photography material.
The photographic archives of the past are a testimony of a moment that existed, and that will never happen again. The preservation and conservation, as well as its disclosure, use, and study, are critical since they are part of our cultural legacy. I do not believe that old photography is better or more valuable than today’s, nor do I feel nostalgia for returning to the past. I think those materials invite a reflection about those moments presented by photographers.
In short, my approach to old documents changed significantly from ten years ago when I concentrated on digitizing and restoring images to make them look better. Today, my goal is that the archives of photographic materials be preserved and conserved—in the best possible manner— for posterity, and digital techniques help us to make this job more manageable and with environmentally-friendly processes.
Familia Chaverri Benavides Circa 1930Libro empastado a mano
Para ganar experiencia con programas y equipos digitales, en 1999 digitalicé los álbumes que mi padre elaboró con las fotografías que le enviara su familia mientras estudiaba en el exterior. Por varios meses, me concentré en quitarle a dichos archivos, hongos, rayas, y a arreglar rostros, dedos y atuendos de muchos de mis antepasados. También descubrí el poder de los ajustes de tonos, de los contrastes y su correlación con mis venerados procesos de revelado en el cuarto oscuro. Más aún, comencé a “iluminar” fotografías— como le decían antes a la técnica de pintar las reproducciones en blanco y negro—con técnicas digitales. Esta primera clase de fotografía digital culminó con un libro familiar. Fue una edición limitada de once libros, todos empastados a mano, uno para cada uno de los tíos y tías Chaverri Benavides.
Poco después de completar este libro familiar, me conecté historiador y coleccionista de fotografías costarricense, Manrique Álvarez Rojas, y digitalicé negativos en vidrio de su colección personal. Así comenzó mi embrujo con uno de los primeros fotógrafos costarricenses, Manuel Gómez Miralles (1876-1965). De la colección de placas de vidrio de Manrique, 38 imágenes se prepararon para exhibirse. La primera exhibición ocurrió en la Casa de la Cultura de Heredia, Costa Rica en septiembre del 2005. Luego la muestra se presentó en otros lugares de San José, incluyendo la Alianza Francesa y el Costa Rica Country Club.
Desde aquel momento, la búsqueda de archivos fotográficos del pasado y su estudio ocupa gran parte de mi tiempo. Me concentro en el material de Costa Rica, y en los procesos que llegaron a tener gran popularidad en el mundo entero, los cuales también impactaron el desarrollo de la fotografía en Costa Rica. Entre los más populares se pueden citar, impresiones, álbumes, cartes de visite, postales, estereogramas, linternas mágicas y las pequeñas tarjetas que venían entre las cajetillas de cigarros.
De Costa Rica, he ubicado y documentado algunas colecciones de algunas bibliotecas en Estados Unidos, empezando por la colección en la biblioteca del Congreso. Uno de los archivos que más me ha impactado es la colección de fotografías que la United Fruit Co. donó a la Baker Library, de la Universidad de Harvard. Aparte de los aspectos agrícolas, hay muchas fotografías de la construcción de las ciudades de Golfito y Quepos, de las cuales, poco encontramos hoy en día en estas ciudades. De igual modo, he topado con el honor de trabajar con archivos de importantes fotógrafos, extranjeros y costarricenses. Algunos son: Harrison Nathaniel Rudd (1840-1917), los hermanos Paynter, Amando Céspedes Marín (1881-1976), Mario Roa Velázquez (1917-2004), Mario Ramírez Villalobos (1919-2001) and Alfonso Barahona Solano (1929-2013), y colecciones de índole familiar de costarricenses.
Ismael Chaverri Rojas. Circa 1920
Con gran preocupación observo el deterioro presente en todos los archivos estudiados, acelerados por la luz, temperatura y humedad. Los daños físicos, biológicos y químicos, en muchos casos se podrían desacelerar bajo condiciones controladas de acopio.
En efecto, los archivos fotográficos del pasado son testimonio de un momento que existió y que nunca más va a acontecer. La preservación y conservación, así como su divulgación, uso y estudio, son críticos; pues son parte de nuestro legado cultural. No encuentro que la fotografía antigua sea mejor o más valiosa que la actual, ni siento nostalgia por volver a un pasado. Pienso que estos materiales invitan a una reflexión acerca de esos instantes presentados por los fotógrafos de otros tiempos.
Para terminar, mi enfoque ha cambiado de diez años atrás, cuando solamente digitalizaba y restauraba las imágenes para que lucieran mejor. Hoy en día, mi objetivo es que los archivos de materiales fotográficos se conserven y preserven —de la mejor forma posible— para la posteridad, y el uso de tecnologías digitales facilitan nuestro trabajo de “desempolvar” y revisitar el pasado utilizando procesos que sean menos dañinos para nuestro medio ambiente.
El Gran Concurso de Gemelos de la Kermesse de los Aliados, Patrocinado por el “diario de Costa Rica”.
Desempolvando archivos fotográficos de Costa Rica y su contexto es la novena actividad del ciclo de conferencias y conversatorios sobre “Fotografía Costarricense en el marco del Bicentenario” organizado por la Biblioteca Nacional con la colaboración de las investigadoras académicas y artistas visuales Sussy Vargas y Mariechen Wust.
At present, we still find cartes to visit in Costa Rica, dating from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Some were taken by the US photographer Harrison Nathaniel Rudd (1840-1917), and by the Paynter Brothers. Others followed Rudd and the Paynter Brothers, including the new photographers Felix Robert, Hermanos Hernández and Manuel Gómez Miralles. During the 1930s, Gómez Miralles was still making cartes de visite, to commemorate the day of First Communion of many children of the Central Valley. The carte de visite gave way to the “closet postcards;” the photographers imported thicker papers for their photographs, adopted the use of gelatin silver print instead of albumen print. By 1950, photographers stopped making of cartes de visite in Costa Rica.
