BACK TO TOP

PHOTOGRAPHY

OTHER PHOTOGRAPHIC FINDINGS

School of Law and Social Sciences of Buenos Aires. Graduates of the year 1903.

Gelatin print toned to sepia with an extraordinary mosaic made up of 82 photographic portraits. Measurements: 31.7 x 39.8 cm / 12.48 x 15.66 in. Work in very good condition.


In the history of the great photographic studios of the city of Buenos Aires in the period between centuries, the Chandler firm shone with its own light and in an extraordinary way, despite having the competence of such prestigious professionals as Witcomb, Garro and Merlino , or Freitas himself.


The American photographer G. W. Chandler landed in the port of Buenos Aires towards the end of the 19th century; he brought along with his suitcases the firm determination to pursue his profession in this metropolis that, at that time, numbered a veritable legion of photographers, and he decided that his line of work would be exclusively dedicated to the difficult genre of social portraiture. In his favor, we will say that he brought extensive technical and artistic experience acquired in his country of origin and that he was also accompanied by state-of-the-art technical equipment.


Very soon his "Modern Photography" located on the elegant Florida Street number 238 was a meeting point for Buenos Aires high society, which highly appreciated his artistic portraits, some made with advanced techniques such as Carbon or Platinum systems. The quality of his work is demonstrated through the testimony of a great camera artist such as Fernando Paillet de Esperanza, who wrote in his "Considerations": "(...) Time and experience reassured me, in my eagerness to produce a Portrait of Men with the mastery of a Chandler (...)".


It should not surprise us then that around 1903 the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of Buenos Aires -at that time located at 350 Moreno Street (current Ethnographic Museum)- made the decision that, the execution of the traditional painting with the portraits of its graduates, would be solely by the American GW Chandler.


That year was complex for the Faculty, a severe strike by students led to closures and even resignations of teachers and authorities. However, those 82 brand-new lawyers posed one by one in front of his prized lens, to finally enjoy this magnificent mosaic-type painting, of very difficult technical realization, which speaks very loudly about the great mastery of Chandler.


We want to point out that this promotion represents in itself a small sociological study on the society of the time, for example we do not count any female graduates, we observe that the dictatorship of men's fashion is total, all young people without exception exhibit mustaches -some with beards complete- that oscillate between a discrete line, and arrogant "handlebars". The suit of course de rigueur, accompanied by white shirts with a bow tie collar and bow ties. Among those names we find Dr. Mariano de Vedia y Miter (1882-1958) future mayor of Buenos Aires from 1932 to 1938 or Dr. Carlos Saavedra Lamas (1878-1958) who in 1936 became the first Latin American to be awarded with the Nobel Prize. In short, a true photographic gem and a real graphic document about the history of our law.


Abel alexander

President of the Ibero-American Society for the History of Photography

S.O.IV-BMM

AUTHOR CHANDLER

Are you interested in selling some works?

Send us an email briefly indicating
which works you intend to put on sale, and we will respond. click here

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated.

Check our Newsletters