No denying it: I have a certain fondness for this piece of sculpture. Columbus was the subject of some of my first digital photos in 2002, he often wowed tourists when I began guiding locally ten years ago, & Plaza Colón was one of the few places my mom wanted to see during her first & only visit overseas (that’s a tiny her below!).
In an continuing effort to understand what makes Buenos Aires tick, I began investigating a few events that had a large historical impact yet are not represented or remembered in the collective consciousness. Once again, “The Collective Memory Reader” comes in handy.
In a previous incarnation of this blog, I posted a series of then & now shots from around Buenos Aires… an interesting way to look at BA. All sorts of problems need to be overcome: different makes of cameras, different fields of view, & increased traffic/people. Some pics have years when known, but most do not. Enjoy the comparing the past & the present!
When historians look back on Buenos Aires at the turn of the 21st century, one of the topics they will likely discuss is the unfortunate destruction of the city’s architectural heritage. Nothing seems to be able to stop it.
As 2001 came to an end, it was almost time to celebrate my one-year anniversary of moving to Buenos Aires. I’ll be the first to admit that I was slow in coming to terms with some of the quirks of Argentina. But I was about to learn more than I bargained for.
A neighborhood as large & complex as Barracas has a number of elements that don’t fit into any of the previous categories…
- Continue reading buenos aires: barracas revisited, odds & ends
With a population of about 80,000 people, Barracas has lots of space to provide all the public services necessary: parks, hospitals, churches, synagogues & more.
- Continue reading buenos aires: barracas revisited, services
Given that Barracas has been divided into so many different parcels & has such an industrial character, few people consider it a prime residential area. That wasn’t always the case.
- Continue reading buenos aires: barracas revisited, residential
Probably its most defining characteristic, factories & warehouses can be found scattered all around Barracas. Everywhere. There’s no escape.
- Continue reading buenos aires: barracas revisited, industrial
