It’s rare to get an unobstructed pane of glass large enough to reflect the entire tomb just opposite. More about Larco in the near future…
2 CommentsDocumenting Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires since 2007
Author: Robert
Mega photo post covering two different tombs. It’s almost surprising that Englishman Alfred Gath & Argentine Lorenzo Chaves were not buried in the same mausoleum since together they ran one of the most successful businesses in Argentina.
Gath & Chaves joined forces in 1883 to open up their own men’s wear store. After adding women’s clothes as well home goods, their commercial clout grew enormously. So much so that they built a fantastic main branch on the corner of Perón & Florida in Buenos Aires. With one of the finest interiors in the city, customers could take a break from shopping on the rooftop terrace for a spot of tea. They even added an annex on Avenida de Mayo:
In 1922, the company was acquired by Harrod’s, & branches opened in other cities plus a locale in Santiago de Chile. Unfortunately tough economic times during the late 20th century forced Gath & Chaves to close in 1974. The main branch is now occupied by Banco Meridian, minus the gorgeous interior. It’s gone forever, but the awning & dome remain. The annex also adds a bit of glamour to the beginning of Avenida de Mayo:
Alfred Gath eventually found his way to Recoleta Cemetery in this splendid Neoclassical-Art Deco mausoleum. Urban legend claims that he had a buzzer installed inside his casket… just in case he woke up & found himself trapped. There is zero documentation to support such a strange tale, & apparently Gath’s remains have been transferred to Paris. At least the González y Kordich family can enjoy this beautiful structure covered with allegory. Find representations of Silence & Resurrection:
The tomb for Lorenzo Chaves isn’t nearly as grand, but its location could not be better… one of the first visible after crossing through the entrance gate. He passed away in 1928, & five years later store staff dedicated a plaque to their co-founder on the company’s 50th anniversary. The interior holds a surprise: an ethereal statue of what appears to be Mary holding the baby Jesus, floating on a cloud. Just beneath, a simple engraving states that “his life was: energy, work & generosity.”
Finding English-language tombstones makes for a great scavenger hunt in Recoleta Cemetery.
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As the importance of trade made Buenos Aires grow, foreign merchants from around the world arrived. So did foreign ministers who recognized the new nation. But many of these new arrivals were not Catholic & therefore could not be buried inside local churches.
One year prior to the opening of Recoleta Cemetery, Governor Martín Rodríguez granted permission for non-Catholics—disidentes—to share a common burial ground. Their first cemetery was located on Calle Juncal, next to the Iglesia del Socorro in Retiro. With only 178 plots, it quickly filled to capacity & was closed in 1833. Nothing remains of this cemetery… a high-rise hotel occupies the spot today (#1 on the map above).
The Rosas government gave the non-Catholic community permission to acquire another piece of land, & the Cementerio Victoria opened in 1833 (#2 on the map above). Occupying almost an entire city block in Once, it was divided by nationality & religion into sections: British, German, American & Jewish. In 1892—59 years after opening—the lot had filled to capacity & the disidentes were on the move again.
Remember that Chacarita Cemetery opened in 1871 due to a yellow fever outbreak. Since the land set aside was so large, a portion was allocated for non-Catholics with the idea that remains from the Cementerio Victoria would be transferred to the new location in Chacarita. In the end, some funerary monuments & tombstones were moved but most of the remains stayed in Once.
By 1919, the city government wanted to acquire the abandoned cemetery & convert it into a public space. Burials 1.5 m deep did not have to be transferred, provided that their families relinquished all rights to claim their ancestors. By 1924, 457 transfers were registered & the following year Buenos Aires obtained a new park: Plaza 1º de Mayo.
In 2006 during a refit of the plaza, work crews found remains of the former cemetery. Archaeologists arrived & began a thorough investigation of one sector. Besides uncovering a complete skeleton, they also uncovered many personal effects, marble tombstones & crosses. All items were cataloged & several put on display at the Cementerio Británico in Chacarita. Photos below are from 2006 during the dig:
The city government under Mauricio Macri has currently abandoned many of the plazas reformed just a few years earlier. Plaza 1º de Mayo happens to be one of the worst cases in the city. Gravel for walkways has not been replaced & grass has disappeared once again… as if nothing had ever been done. Despite its poor condition, at least the excavated area has been gated off & protected. It is the only green area in the plaza these days:
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Other Buenos Aires cemeteries: Cementerio del Sur • Chacarita • San José de Flores • Cementerio de los Disidentes • Cementerio Británico • Cementerio Alemán
Archival photo taken by Esteban Gonnet, circa 1865. Courtesy of the New York Public Library, Wallach Collection. Full text of the findings by archaeologists can be found here (in Spanish).
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In January 2012, the folks at Pilot Film & Television Productions contacted me about helping them with a new Buenos Aires episode of Globe Trekker. Of course I agreed. The idea was to show the production crew around the cemetery… essentially give them a tour of the highlights. Evidently I passed the test, because they wanted me to appear on camera with their presenter. Excellent!
The producers returned earlier this week & brought the camera crew with them. We ended up filming 3 hours inside the cemetery—much more than I originally thought—which will be edited down to a few minutes. I wonder what will be kept, what will be cut & most importantly, how I will look/sound on television 🙂
Judith, the presenter, filmed a short intro first then we did a bit about Aramburu & Eva Perón. Roca came next, followed by Firpo, Rufina & eventually Eva Perón. Unfortunately there was no time for Liliana. Even though that doesn’t sound like much, we had to do several takes for each tomb plus scenes of us walking through the cemetery. We left with the security guards hounding us out.
Since I had no idea which tombs they would request or how much time they wanted to spend on each, everything I said during the taping was completely ad-libbed. And although lifetimes & influence are difficult to sum up in a few words accurately, I think I managed to do ok.
The only way to know will be to see the final result. The producers could not give me a release date, but they will send me a DVD when it’s finished. Or maybe I’ll see it on cable tv first! I’m guessing October-ish & will definitely post some screen captures in this blog.
Many thanks to the Pilot crew & the crash course about working in front of the camera!
Update (Nov 2012): The show has been released… read about it in this post.
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