A MEMORY OF YESTERDAY'S BUENOS AIRES

New Editions. Album - Souvenirs of Buenos Aires. Modern Views. Publisher: Salvador Liguori, Lavalle 540. Early 20th Century.

Printed album - 23 x 32 cm - with red hardcover binding, cloth spine, and gilt titles featuring the Argentine coat of arms. Cover, plus 36 pages - each with a black and white photograph - and one double-page spread containing a panoramic view. Copy in good condition.

Technical advances in photomechanical printing led to the novelty of albums that relegated the old albumen prints to oblivion. Aware of this trend, the well-known publisher Salvatore Liguori released a series of albums about the city of Buenos Aires and the surrounding countryside, using photographs from the period and earlier, such as certain images by the Boote brothers. The album, with its distinctly touristic focus, was produced in five languages: Spanish, English, Italian, French, and German. The work opens with a spectacular panoramic view of Buenos Aires from the North Dock, where the smoking chimney symbolizes the progress of the young nation. Its visual journey offers a comprehensive panorama of the capital city, the grain elevators at the port, various public buildings, the Avenida de Mayo and Avenida Alvear, and the corner of Esmeralda and Corrientes; parks, plazas, and even the planned Law School building. Leaving the capital, there are views of Tigre, Mar del Plata, Ushuaia, the railway to Cosquín, a game of taba (a rural custom), cattle grazing on a ranch, and branding livestock. A true collector's item.

The publishing house of the Italian Salvatore Liguori—located at 540 Lavalle Street in Buenos Aires—is renowned for its significant presence in the postcard market; it also published several illustrated albums in the early 20th century, including this one.