1888 Mexico Photo Album

Item

Identifier: MSH/LAT 0083

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The album contains a collection of 48 mounted albumen photographs, each measuring 8 1/2 x 11 in. The photos were produced by commercial vendors including William Henry Jackson (30 photos), Gove and North (11 photos), and Abel Briquet (4 photos). Some have printed text in the plate. The images are affixed to stiff off-white cardboard sheets.

The photographs depict tourist sites in and around Mexico City as well as street scenes and panoramic views of towns and natural features in and beyond central Mexico. Specific images include the Mexico City cathedral, the Plaza de Armas, the Paseo de la Reforma, the Castillo de Chapultepec, views of the volcanoes Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl, and panoramas of Puebla and Guanajuato, among others. Photos of the Aztec Sun Stone, the Tizoc Stone, and the Coatlicue sculpture complement streetscapes and landscapes. The development of the Mexican National Railroad is another theme of the album. Images include locomotives and highlight the construction of impressive tunnels and bridges in locations such as the Tajo de Nochistongo, the Barranca de Metlac, and the Barranca de Infiernillo.

Dates

Creation: 1888

Creator

Briquet, Abel (Person)
Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Biographical / Historical

The compiler of this photo album is unknown, though one of the flyleaves bears the name, "G. Murphy," in black ink.

Extent

1 volume : The 1888 Mexican photo album is an oblong, quarto volume measuring 11 x 14 in., bound in lightly-rubbed brown, calf-covered boards with the title, "Mexico 1888," stamped in gilt on the front. The spine also bears gilt design and the title, "Mexico 1888."

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

A large photo album containing panoramic views of Mexican cities and towns as well as photographs of major monuments and tourist sites in Mexico City. The album also illustrates the growth of the Mexican National Railroad, including images of locomotives and railroad tunnels and bridges. Photos date to the late nineteenth century and many can be attributed to known photographers or studios, including William Henry Jackson, Gove and North, and Abel Briquet.