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Table of contents What's This?
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Scope and Contents
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Rights Statement for Archival Description
  • Preferred Citation
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition

  • Contributing Institution: USC Libraries Special Collections
    Title: Walter Reuter photographs
    Creator: Reuter, Walter
    Identifier/Call Number: 0514
    Physical Description: 1.29 Linear Feet 1 box; 145 photographs
    Date (inclusive): 1950-1975
    Abstract: Walter Reuter (1906-2005) was a German-born Mexicon photojournalist. He fled war in Europe in 1942 for Mexico, where using modern photojournalistic techniques, he began, among other projects, documenting Mexico's indigenous people. This project eventually consisted of over 35,000 photographs of twenty different ethnicities. In addition to still photography, Reuter produced a number of full length films, both documentary and dramatic. It is estimated that Reuter produced close to 97,000 negatives during his career; he lost possession of his first archive when he fled Germany, and his second when he fled Spain. The Walter Reuter photographs consist of 145 photographs created by Walter Reuter between 1950 and 1975, documenting the indiginous the people of Mexico, daily life, religious ceremonies, and Mexico's leading artists, to name a few subjects. The collection was assembled by a collector.
    Language of Material: Spanish; Castilian .
    Container: 1

    Biographical / Historical

    Walter Reuter (1906-2005) was born in Germany. He fled Germany in 1933 for Spain, and in 1936 he joined the Republican forces fighting Franco, while also working as a photo correspondent for several wire services. After Franco gained power, Reuter fled to France, where he was placed in a concentration camp. He escaped the camp, fled to Morocco, was recaptured by French authorities, escaped again, and managed, along with his wife and son, to escape on a boat heading to Mexico where they arrived in 1942. He established himself in Mexico City, where, using modern photojournalistic techniques, he began, among other projects, documenting Mexico's indigenous people. This project eventually consisted of over 35,000 photographs of twenty different ethnicities. In addition to still photography, Reuter produced a number of full length films, both documentary and dramatic. It is estimated that Reuter produced close to 97,000 negatives during his career; he lost possession of his first archive when he fled Germany, and his second when he fled Spain.

    Scope and Contents

    The Walter Reuter photographs consist of 145 photographs created by Walter Reuter between 1950 and 1975, documenting the indiginous people of Mexico, daily life, religious ceremonies, and Mexico's leading artists, to name a few subjects. The collection was assembled by a collector.

    Conditions Governing Access

    Advance notice required for access.

    Conditions Governing Use

    All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to Special Collections. 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.

    Rights Statement for Archival Description

    Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

    Preferred Citation

    [Box/folder no. or item name], Walter Reuter photographs, Collection no. 0514, Boeckmann Center for Latin American and Iberian Studies, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Purchased from Bolerium Books, November 2008.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Exiles -- Germany -- 20th century -- Archival resources
    Photojournalism -- Mexico -- Archival resources
    Mexico -- Social life and customs -- Pictorial works
    Photographs
    Reuter, Walter -- Archives