Mexican photograph album documenting the American Seminar on Relations with Mexico

Summary

Title:

Mexican photograph album documenting the American Seminar on Relations with Mexico [graphic],

Abstract:

Snapshots of the visit of members of the American Seminar on Relations with Mexico to Mexico City, Xochimilco, San Juan Teotihuacan, Toluca, and rural areas like Acolman (in the state of Mexico), and the ejido Tlahuac. Images reflect concerns with rural development and education and they document visits to historical sites, archaeological sites, and churches. Many snapshots include government officials and dignitaries such as President Plutarco Elias Calles and Governor Carlos Riva Palacio (the younger).

Extent:

1 album (133 photographic prints) : b&w; album 23 x 31 cm

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Mexican photograph album documenting the American Seminar on Relations with Mexico [graphic], BANC PIC 2000.070--ALB, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

In 1927 the American Seminar on Relations with Mexico made a trip to the central area of this country. They visited Mexico City, Xochimilco, San Juan Teotihuacan, Toluca, and rural areas like Acolman (in the state of Mexico), and the ejido Tlahuac (close to Xochimilco).

This collection of photographs is a noteworthy testimony of early 20th century Mexico in several senses. It is a portrait of rural Mexico, of its landscapes, of its people, during the times of the reconstruction of the country after the Revolution. It also offers a comparison between the material resources and social projects in two cities (Mexico City and Toluca) and the daily activities in other areas. This collection is also a visual proof of the perception that the members of the American Seminar had about Mexican past and present. Their selection of places to visit, their interviews with the higher political and educative authorities speak about their interest in the social problems and governmental social policies during the 1920s.

The agenda of the members of this Seminar placed the visit to the archeological site of San Juan Teotihuacan, the convent and chapel of Acolman, and some colonial buildings in Mexico City at the beginning of this trip. Besides this interest in Mexican antiquities, the Seminar focused on the situation of Indian people both in the cities and in the countryside. Thus, most of the plates of this collection are devoted to the influence of the Mexican government in areas like education of Indian boys and rural development.

Physical location:

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Related resources

Other descriptive data:

Image 7 (pg. 4):

Interior of the chapel of the convent of Acolman, in the state of Mexico. This chapel was an annex of the Augustinian convent built in the mid 16th century. It was built and decorated in a plateresque style; the presbytery has a series of paintings in fresco representing the hierarchy of the Catholic Church: prophets, bishops, and friars.

Image 52 (pg. 15):

The education of Indian boys after the Mexican Revolution was oriented toward the learning of Spanish language, and the acquisition of some industrial skills and knowledge. This was the case, at least, in central Mexico, where this kind of industrial school received support from the national government.

Image 101 (pg. 16):

The Mexican government tried to gather Mexican peasants in official unions like the CROM (Confederación Regional Obrera Mexicana), founded during the presidency of Plutarco Elias Calles. This photograph shows the relation between this union and the peasants of Tlahuac, a small ejido close to Xochimilco. The comments written at the bottom of the photograph show the favorable opinion of the American Seminar about this relationship.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:

Processed by The Bancroft Library staff

Date Prepared:

© 2001

Date Encoded:

Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word; finding aid encoded by Xiuzhi Zhou. Date of source: May 2000.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Mexican photograph album documenting the American Seminar on Relations with Mexico [graphic], BANC PIC 2000.070--ALB, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US

Contact:

510-642-6481

bancref-library@berkeley.edu

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