Photograph album of Montevideo, 1892

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Summary

Creators:
Fitz-Patrick, John, 1847-1928, photographer.
Abstract:
Album of photographs of Montevideo, Uruguay and surrounding area from 1892 by John Fitz-Patrick.
Extent:
1 album (79 photographic prints) : albumen, 33 x 42 cm (album)
Language:
Finding aid is written in English. and Materials are in English.

Background

Scope and content:

Photographs include panoramic shots of the city from neighboring hilltops, from the tower of the cathedral, from the customs wharf, and harbor. There are many architectural photographs of the buildings of the city: the municipal administration building, hilltop fortress, cathedral, stock exchange, prison, Teatro Sol铆s, charity hospital, orphanage, central market, art school, town hall, gasworks, and Club Uruguay on the Plaza de la Constituci贸n. Photos of four plazas--Cagancha, Constituci贸n, Independencia, and Zabala--document the importance for city of this type of urban space. Other photos portray the leafy avenues and large fountains of the Parque El Prado. There are several photographs of the Los Pocitos neighborhood along the coast of Rio de la Plata. Also included are views of the British cemetery at the Buceo, as well as the Cementerio Central, and Cementerio del Buceo, served by horse-drawn rail car. In the nearby town of Col贸n, similar horse-drawn cars carry passengers along the Avenida de Eucaliptus. Fitz-Patrick documented civic celebrations for the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America, in the Plaza de la Constituci贸n, and the "Salida del Te Deum, agosto 25, de 1892, " showing throngs in the street, marching bands, and military formations. Nine photographs attest to the importance of the cattle industry of Uruguay, with views of roping, branding, and slaughtering at the "saladero" where salted meat is produced. Views of the countryside portray the traditional landscape, as well as the modern constructions of tunnels, bridges, telephone poles and wires, and railroad tracks. Included here are shots of the rail route ("F.C.C. Ext[ension] N[orte]") through Ba帽ado de Rocha, Las Ca帽as, and Piri谩polis, on the coast of Rio de la Plata, east of Montevideo. The album concludes with a photo of a hotel in Colon, and a heavily-loaded oxcart.

Biographical / historical:

English photographer, one of the most noted and esteemed photographers of 19th-century Montevideo. Born in Newark, England on November 3, 1847, Fitz-Patrick was educated in Belgium, traveled to the United States, and arrived in Uruguay in February 1858. After some years of private teaching, he again took up his old profession of photographer with the studio Masoni, where he worked with Charles Wallace Chute (1846-1923) and Thomas Brooks, both American photographers who started the company of Chute & Brooks in 1868 in Montevideo. Finally Fitz-Patrick opened his own studio, called Fotograf铆a Inglesa, located in Calle Rinc贸n 176. He tirelessly documented all official events during this period of Uruguayan history , and produced a great collection of negatives of great historical and social value. During the 1890s, his photos appeared regularly in the illustrated reviews, La ilustraci贸n sudamericana, and Caras y caretas. Fitz-Patrick died in Montevideo on Nov. 2, 1928.

Acquisition information:
Purchase, Howard Karno Books, February 2004.
Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections for paging information.
Physical facet:

Photographs (19.4 x 24.4 cm) are mounted, one to a page, on versos and rectos of leaves of heavy white stock, bound with strips of blue cloth tape; captions, and name and address of studio--"Fotografia Inglesa. Rincon 176"-- in negative along lower margin of photograph; each leaf stamped "Fitz-Patrick Foto." and "Montevideo" in lower left and right corners, respectively.

All leaves show heavy foxing around all edges.

Bound in dark brown leather by "Al Libro Ingl茅s, Calle 33, No. 61" in Montevideo; double gilt ruled borders; cover title "Montevideo" in gold-stamped cursive; ornamental gilt spine; inner gilt dentelles; red moir茅 silk endpapers; all edges gilt; binder's ticket on verso of front endleaf: "Al Libro Ingl茅s. Tipografia, Ecuadernaci贸n y F谩brica de libros en blanco. Calle Trainta y Tres, 61, Montevideo."

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Note:

Title supplied by cataloger.

Date from dealer description, and from historical references in photographs.

Access and use

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website