#PC11
Ca. early 1900s.
Oblong Folio (ca. 24,5x35 cm). 19 thick paper leaves (4 blank). With 66 mounted gelatin silver photos, including five large images from ca. 19x28 cm (7 ½ x 11 in) to ca. 17x23 cm (6 ¾ x 9 in) and eight panoramas ca. 8x29,5 cm (3 ¼ x 11 ½ in). The rest of the photos are ca. 6x8 cm (2 ¼ x 3 ¼ in) or slightly smaller. Four large photos are captioned in negative; all but two photos with period ink captions in French on the mounts. Period style black half morocco with black cloth boards. One panoramic photo with the left upper corner cut off, mounts slightly waved, a couple of photos mildly faded, but overall a very good album on interesting photos.
Attractive collection of lively amateur and studio photos of Argentina and Uruguay, taken and collected by a French traveller or resident in the ealy 1900s. The album opens with four large studio views of Montevideo (three were attributed to a local photographer, Luis Pastorino), showing Plaza Independencia, Fortaleza del Cerro, Baños Plaza Ramirez and racks of hides, drying at the “Saladero Clouzet & Cia” facility in the Cerro neighbourhood. Very interesting are eight large amateur panoramic photos, showing the town of Tigre north of Buenos Aires (a private mansion, recreational boats on the Tigre River) and Campana city on the Parana River (a military camp, a cattle farm, three views of the river waterfront with sailing boats and a wooden boardwalk).
The album also contains fifty-three smaller snapshot photos, including several views of Montevideo (Palaza Cagancha with La Libertad statue, Metropolitan Cathedral, street views, a steamer in the port, &c.). The rest of the images focus on Buenos Aires and several cities in the Buenos Aires province. The views of Buenos Aires show the port and waterfront, steamers in the harbour, general views taken from rooftops, Piramide de Mayo, Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo, Metropolitan Cathedral, Zoo (elephants’ pavilion, a Chinese-style pavilion), city streets (one photo features a motorized city bus with the sign “Plaza Mayo-Entrerios”), &c. The other photos depict cruisers in the naval port near Bahia Blanca, the cities of Tigre, Campana (several images are fragments of the large panoramic views) and Sanchez. The last photo is a large view of the port in La Plata near Buenos Aires, featuring a side of an ocean steamer, rail tracks, warehouses and several restaurants and bars, selling “vinos, licores y fiambres.” Overall an interesting collection of early 20th-century original photos of Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Buenos Aires Province.