1905 Early Rural Mexico Photo Archive

[Mexico] [Photography] Vernacular of 27 silver gelatin photographs of Mexico in 1905. Photos affixed to 8 black paper album leaves with the majority captioned. Photos measure between 3.5" x 5.5" Locations include; Culiacan, El Alto Huerfano, Agua Blanca, Mazatlan, Tecate, Altata, Sinaloa, and Puerta de Monos-Durango. Many images show a mix of Mexican and European people posed in front of various adobe and thatched roof buildings, one cheekily captioned "Waldorf-Astoria" implying these might be American visitors. A few more rural images show people gathered on a trip through the woods of Chihuahua, wearing straw sombreros alongside mules and donkeys, one (truncated) child is being pulled in a small wooden carriage by a ram. Another show a Mestizo and European man inside "El Alto Huerfano" holding an armadillo and a parrot. One image shows a brass and strings band posed at a local bar. The majority encapsulate the untouched natural landscape of rural Mexico, with a few panoramic views of small towns surrounded by farmland. Some of the latter photos shows groups of well to do looking people of European or Mestizo origin and a large estate. One photo of a terra cotta roofed home is labeled "In front of mayordomo's house, Agua Blanca." This album potentially shows the development of wealthy foreign families into rural pueblos of Mexico under the rule of Porfirio Díaz. Photographs are crisp and clear, some wear to leaves. Overall very good condition. (Inventory #: 20030)