:format(jpg):quality(99):watermark(f.elconfidencial.com/file/bae/eea/fde/baeeeafde1b3229287b0c008f7602058.png,0,275,1)/f.elconfidencial.com/original/8ea/246/594/8ea2465949d890baa455fa61a30a704d.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "Madrid in Transition: Recovered Photos Reveal a City on the Brink of Change")
Madrid in Transition: Recovered Photos Reveal a City on the Brink of Change
A recently rediscovered photographic archive offers a rare glimpse into Madrid during a pivotal period of change. Between 1976 and 1979, photographers Manuel Durán and Juan Miguel Sánchez Vigil documented the city, capturing a Madrid on the cusp of transformation.
A City in Transition
The project began as an ambitious undertaking by a large editorial house to record Madrid as it underwent significant shifts following the death of the dictator. Durán and Sánchez Vigil traversed the city’s diverse neighborhoods, from the center to the periphery, documenting streets, markets, and construction sites. Their work was initially published in a series of fascicles titled Madrid, edited by Espasa-Calpe, with the remaining photographs archived for decades.
The archive was recently recovered by the Fundación Lito, who selected 48 images for public display. The exhibition is currently running as part of the ‘Robert Capa estuvo aquí’ festival in El Retiro park and is free to visit until mid-February.
The Project’s Origins
The initiative stemmed from a desire by the Ayuntamiento de Madrid to document the changes the city would experience in the wake of the dictatorship. The project was initially commissioned to the Instituto de Estudios Madrileños. The goal was to capture a comprehensive portrait of Madrid, combining urban history, social analysis, and detailed photographic documentation.
The resulting work, consisting of 100 weekly fascicles and later compiled into five territorial volumes and one dedicated to prominent Madrileños, aimed to be exhaustive. Durán notes that the exhibition showcases “the old Madrid, the one that hadn’t changed yet,” as the period of the Spanish Transition was just beginning.
Young Photographers, Ambitious Scope
Durán and Sánchez Vigil were in their early twenties when they began working on the project, having both joined the editorial house at a young age. They were tasked with managing the photographic archive, which included the holdings of the Espasa Encyclopedia, the History of Spain by Menéndez Pidal, and the Summa Artis. Their duties included acquiring reproduction rights, contacting photographic agencies, and producing original images when needed.
The photographers utilized a Yashica Mat 124 G camera, a medium format 6×6, with 120 film, and occasionally a 6×9 camera for greater definition. They prioritized larger formats for photomechanical reproduction, but opted for the more affordable Yashica over more expensive Leica cameras.
A Unique Visual Record
The archive provides a previously unseen perspective of Madrid, extending beyond the historical center and tourist areas to include peripheral neighborhoods, industrial zones, and undeveloped land. The photographs also capture the social and political climate of the time, including neighborhood associations, protests, and public demands expressed through graffiti and posters.
Sánchez Vigil emphasizes that the project avoided censorship, documenting both the center and the underserved areas of the city, including neighborhoods lacking basic infrastructure. The images reveal a city fragmented by disparities between districts.
Preserving the Past
The archive currently comprises around 2,000 slides, meticulously organized by street and zone. While a complete digitization is still underway, the Fundación Lito selected 48 images for the current exhibition from an initial selection of 200. The process of identifying locations and gathering additional information continues through visitor contributions during the exhibition.
Durán and Sánchez Vigil emphasize that the images should be viewed not as a romanticized past, but as a record of a city grappling with significant structural deficiencies. Sánchez Vigil states, “That past wasn’t better. It was much worse than what we have today. The photographs help us understand that.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the primary goal of the photographic project?
The primary goal was to document the changes Madrid was undergoing in the years following the death of the dictator, capturing a comprehensive portrait of the city’s urban landscape and social fabric.
What type of camera did the photographers primarily use?
The photographers primarily used a Yashica Mat 124 G camera, a medium format 6×6, utilizing 120 film.
Where can the exhibition be viewed?
The exhibition is currently on display as part of the ‘Robert Capa estuvo aquí’ festival in El Retiro park, specifically on the paseo de Fernán Núñez, and is free to visit until mid-February.
Looking ahead, the archive could potentially be used for further exhibitions, research, or educational purposes. The ongoing process of cataloging and gathering information from visitors may lead to a more complete understanding of the images and the historical context they represent. It is also possible that the archive will be entrusted to an institution for long-term preservation and accessibility.
What aspects of Madrid’s past, as revealed in these photographs, resonate most strongly with the city’s present-day identity?