1940s Mexico Vernacular of Local Culture, People, and Monuments Photo Album

[Mexico] [Photography] Extensive vernacular photo collection of the daily lives of Mexican natives in their traditional dress during the 1940s. 52 photographs pasted on black leaves. Original faux leather black covers with embossing and gilt lettering "Photographs", bound with black rope. Album measures 7.5" x 11.5" and each leaf holds a 5" x 8" black and white photograph. Circa 1940s. Owner of the album is unknown but one photograph shows two men of European descent in suits of which either could be the photographer or closely tied as it is the only photo that is posed and personable instead of candid. The photographs are taken artfully with intent and (truncated) printed on matte paper of a larger scale than most photographs taken at the time. Many photographs show local women, children, and some men. Many of the women wear embroidered or patterned cotton blouses and skirts, some wearing huipils which were popular after the Revolution as a way to signify pre-colonial cultural pride. Most photos of women and children show them carrying baskets of fruit and bread, or as vendors seated on the side of the road or at a stand in a marketplace. One photograph shows an older Mexican woman in a crowded outdoor market, they all wear wide brimmed sun and cowboy hats to keep the southern heat off their skin, she's smiling and holding a woven mat with several others leaned against her legs, the photo indicates that she may have handmade them to sell. One scenic photo shows a Mexican man on a small wooden fishing boat surrounded by a serene lake and mountains, his face covered by the shadows of his woven sombrero, and the boat covered by a wide wooden fish hoop net. A few snapshots are architectural showing pueblos, post colonial Mexico City buildings, and the Temple of Quetzalcóatl. Some wear to front and back covers, a few page leaves disbound and some photos loose, the photographs are mostly clean and crisp. Overall very good condition. This personal tourist's album gives a moody and insightful perspective of Mexico's rich and deeply rooted culture. (Inventory #: 20608)