June 7, 2012
While stationed in Alvarado, Mexico in 1934 to shoot the Mexican film “REDES” in 1934, Ned Scott used his 5 x 7 Graflex camera to photograph architectural details of the town during his off-duty hours. James Krippner, a professor of history, wrote a book which discussed Paul Strand’s work in Mexico from 1932-34 titled Paul Strand in Mexico, 1932-34. His research entailed a visit to Alvarado in early 2010. He communicated to me after the visit that Alvarado had changed completely from those heady and rich days of 1934. The town had lost its rural, semi-isolated flavor, and the structures had been updated. Ned Scott’s images of the 1934 architectural details of the town reflect just what the life was like for its citizens, especially the fishermen.
It’s a relaxed but highly textured matrix of buildings, residences, narrow dirt roads all surrounding the ubiquitous domed church, set on the estuary of the Papaloapan River. Hints of Greek and Roman classical styles are juxtaposed with wooden plank structures with rolled tin roofs or clay tile. The larger buildings are all government buildings, and the more well-to-do private residences front clay streets. Life was simple, and the economy of the town revolved around fishing for haddock.
Framed doorway, Alvarado, Mexico, 1934 by Ned Scott