Finding aid for the Walter Reuter photographs 0514
Sue Luftschein
USC Libraries Special Collections
2021 July
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0189
specol@usc.edu
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
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.
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.
Advance notice required for access.
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.
[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