Album Containing Forty Seven Albumen Photographs of Central and Southern Chile, Including Photographs of the Newly Constructed Biobio Bridge in Valdivia, c. 1890s

Chile, 1890. Large folio containing forty seven photographs, most measuring 8 x 10 inches, taken in Chile. Some foxing, particularly to mounts, some photographs detached and many repaired previously at hinges with cloth tape, photographs with very good contrast, very good minus condition overall, photographs quite attractive and worthy of preservation. Very Good. A collection of scarce nineteenth century views of Chile taken by an unknown but quite accomplished photographer in the 1890s, showing scenes in the central region including Valdivia, Coronel, Concepcion, the Biobio bridge, and the surrounding regions. The photographer, who is quite accomplished (truncated) technically. The photographs document the area at a time of industrial expansion, with rail travel reaching Valdivia in the 1890s made possible in part by the construction of the Malleco Viaduct, the steel mills of Corral representing the largest private investment in Chile at the time, and the region generally expanding population-wise. Besides this collection, we find no other records in the trade of similar images from the region and era. Also included is one loose albumen composite image entitled "Flores Del Sur, 1888, Republic de Chile," showing Chilean women. Nearly all images are captioned at the margins, identifying the locations and providing opportunities for scholarship on this period of Chilean history. (Inventory #: List1324)