Finding aid for the Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Argentina Trip photograph albums 0513
Sue Luftschein
USC Libraries Special Collections
2018 November
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0189
specol@usc.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Title: Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Argentina Trip photograph albums
Identifier/Call Number: 0513
Physical Description:
11.58 linear feet.
8 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1953-1954
Abstract: 8 oversized leather photograph albums containing approximately 3025 primarily black and white photographs, created and/or
compiled by a Mr. and Mrs. Wallace while on an extended trip to Argentina in 1953-54. The photographs depict cities and town,
beaches, the Andes, working cattle ranches, sporting events, parks and monuments, and parties, restaurants and the theater,
with one album dedicated to images of an oil refinery. The photographs were taken during Juan Peron's second term as President
of Argentina and immediately following the death of Eva Peron. It was a time of increasingly serious economic, political and
social problems, none of which are documented in the albums. The emphasis on an oil refinery in the photographs may be explained
by the foreign investments in auto manufacturing and in petroleum production, which Peron began to attract during his second
term.
Container: 1
Container: 2
Container: 3
Container: 4
Container: 5
Container: 6
Container: 7
Container: 8
The photograph albums, based on some information found in them, can be dated to 1953-1954, during Juan Peron's second term
as President of Argentina and immediately following the death of Eva Peron. It was a time of increasingly serious economic,
political and social problems, none of which are documented in the albums. The emphasis on an oil refinery in the photographs
may be explained by the foreign investments in auto manufacturing and in petroleum production, which Peron began to attract
during his second term. In fact, Argentina signed a contract with Standard Oil of California in 1955.
8 oversized leather photograph albums containing approximately 3025 primarily black and white photographs, created and/or
compiled by a Mr. and Mrs. Wallace while on an extended trip to Argentina in 1953-54. They are unidentified, but there are
a large number of photographs of an oil refinery, which suggests they may have been in the oil business. The photographs document
Buenos Aires and La Plata, as well as the province of Mendoza and many smaller sites on both the coast and inland. The photographs
depict cities and town, beaches, the Andes, working cattle ranches, sporting events, parks and monuments, and parties, restaurants
and the theater. Among these images are: a football game in progress; urban shop-lined streets; festivals and rallies/demonstrations;
a ballet performance; crew races and a water polo match; swimmers and sunbathers at a large municipal pool; middle and upper
class homes; nurses in uniform; equestrian events, including many photographs of gauchos; and Christmas celebrations. There
are also many images of political displays and memorials for Juan and Eva Peron, as well as photographs of a crowd in the
Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires on October 17 (Loyalty Day), commemorating the demonstration that led to his release from prison
in 1945.
6 of the 8 albums are hand-tooled leather, each unique, 5 with scenes of Argentine life one with representations of Central,
South American, and Caribbean flags. the 7th album is covered in cow skin.
Advance notice required for access.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
[Box/folder no. or item name], Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Argentina Trip photograph albums, Collection no. 0513, Boeckmann Center
for Iberian and Latin American Studies, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Walkabout Books, August 20, 2018.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Argentina -- Social life and customs -- Photographs
Gauchos -- Photographs
Petroleum industry and trade -- Argentina -- Photographs
Photograph albums