Julio Cordero

The history of photography from Latin America has always lagged behind that of the rest of the world, leaving a gap in our understanding of the continent's fascinating recent history. Estudio Cordero Archive offers the first and finest photographic examples of the life, customs, and rich cultural heritage of Bolivia from 1900 to 1961. The images in this book represent every genre of photography and depict all kinds of personalities; Cordero's gaze leaves no aspect of social, political, economic, and everyday life untouched. Most Bolivian photographers were simply professional studio photographers. Among those who stand out are Julio Cordero Castillo (1879-1961), who was well known as a photographer in La Paz from 1898 to 1940. His two sons carried on the family business until their deaths in the 1960s and 70s. The family archive contains some 50,000 photographs showing a wide range of subjects from around the country. This book is a selection of their archive.