PORTRAIT GALLERY

Lorenzo M. Irigaray. Buenos Aires. Decades 1870 - 1880.

We present a unique iconographic set made up of three nineteenth-century photographic portraits. All are vintage works made in Buenos Aires by renowned camera professionals and during different periods in the military career of Argentine sailor Lorenzo M. Irigaray (1856-1933). The lot is made up of the popular formats "Carte-de-visite" (Photo: C. Bizzioli), "Portrait cabinet" (Chute & Brooks) and "Promenade" (L. Cantón). Measurements of the photographs: 10.5 x 6.5 cm; 16.5 x 10.9 cm, and 19.1 x 11.2 cm, respectively. Each portrait is mounted on the secondary support edited by the photographer himself.

The first of the portraits corresponds to the young midshipman Lorenzo M. Irigaray; The dashing image was sent with a lengthy message written on the back, which was later decisively removed by crossing out lines in black ink. Perhaps a young love gone bad? In the other two photographs, the naval chief Irigaray, more advanced in years, poses before the camera in his regulation military uniform.

In the portrait taken by Bizzioli we notice a detail of interest, since it differs from the rest of the business cards of the time since, in this case, the Italian Césare Bizioli edited the image, but on an embossed support in an oval format, that is, he had to cut out and glue the thin albumen inside the oval with high relief. On the front and in handwritten letters in black ink is the following identification legend: "Marine Guard Lorenzo M. Irigaray at 17 years old. 1877". On the back and on the profuse publicity of the Italian artist - during those years with an atelier in Calle Cuyo - now Sarmiento - Nº 401 in Buenos Aires - the severe crossing out of a text that was intended to hide from the new addressee can be seen.

Around the year 1892 and with the rank of Lieutenant, Lorenzo M. Irigaray assumed command of the Cruise 25 de Mayo -acquired in the midst of the conflict with Chile- when he was in Europe for the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus. to America, returning the following year to Montevideo, where the ship underwent repairs. Irigaray resumed command of that ship around 1898, when he was already Commander of the Frigate. With the rank of Colonel, he was one of the oldest residents of the La Perla neighborhood, in the city of Mar del Plata, and because of his support for this resort, a square was designated with his name. He was decorated by the Kingdoms of Italy and Spain, who awarded him the Grand Cross of Naval Merit.

About the photographers, authors of these images, let's say that the artists Cesare and Isaaco Bizzioli arrived in Argentina around the 1870s. Originally from Bergamo, they soon won the sympathy of the important Italian colony of Buenos Aires and, in this way, they worked intensely in the capital square for more than two decades. They alternately operated together or separately and even opened a portrait house in the brand new city of La Plata. On the back of their photographic cardboard, the medals obtained for the quality of their works in the different international exhibitions where they participated stood out.

The firm Chute & Brooks began in Uruguay around 1868, formed by the commercial partnership of the Canadian Lyman Wallace Chute (1845-1925) and the American Thomas Haynes Brooks (1843-1897). Later they opened a branch in Argentina and, for many years, their studios at 25 de Mayo 300 in Montevideo and Florida 74 in Buenos Aires, were favored by a select clientele served in English. Like many signatures, they held the medals obtained in international exhibitions, such as the one in Chile in 1875.

Already mature and after having passed through the cameras of Italian, Canadian and American photographers, it was time to visit a French professional, bearing in mind that the cradle of photography was undoubtedly France, and so he did. On this occasion Lorenzo M. Irigaray chose a new portrait format known as "Promenade", very much in vogue at the time due to its elegance. He again attends the photo session with his gala uniform and Lucien Cantón portrays him from the front and half-length faded. On the back we see a legend in graphite pencil handwritten in italics that indicates: "Capitán Irigaray".

Lucien Cantón, born in the French city of Toulouse in 1837, began photography in that country. Around 1860 he settled in Uruguay and some time later we find him in Argentina, opening around 1871 an important portrait atelier on Calle Cuyo-current Sarmiento-No. 302 between Suipacha and Esmeralda.

Abel Alexander

President of the Ibero-American Society for the History of Photography