AfterLife – Page 108 – Documenting Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires since 2007

070. passo

Published by Robert on 22 December 2007

Juan José Paso, Recoleta Cemetery

A lawyer who became politically active after the First British Invasion in 1806, Juan José Paso was one of the most outspoken founding fathers of Argentine independence.

Lack of free trade as well as the occupation of Spain by France were key factors in Argentina proclaiming independence. Paso worked in the tax office for the Viceroy but did not hesitate to join the nascent revolution. Forming part of the 9-member Primera Junta (First Council) on May 25, 1810, Juan José Paso served as one of the secretaries. Soon after in Montevideo, he tried to convince the sister city of Buenos Aires that independence was in everyone’s best interest. Not many were willing to listen. Disagreement among factions in the region would lead to the collapse of the council.

Paso later became part of a brief-lived triumvirate, then joined sides with independence heroes José de San Martín & Carlos Alvear. Missions to Chile & defending Admiral Guillermo Brown in court occupied his time soon after. Even though Paso never resumed a top political position after the triumvirate, he was a key figure in the new nation’s development. Paso worked on the first draft of the Argentine constitution in 1819 & continued to represent the interests of Buenos Aires in Congress for the remainder of his life.

Juan José Paso died in 1833 with little fortune to show for the service given to his country. In fact, the Governor of Buenos Aires at the time decided to raise funds for this tomb in gratitude for Paso’s dedication.

There are two distinct spellings of his last name: Paso & Passo. With ancestors from northern Spain, their last name in gallego was Do Pazo. The “z” was later replaced with either one “s” or two. Take your pick.

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069. antonio lanusse

Published by Robert on 21 December 2007

Antonio Lanusse, Recoleta Cemetery

068. familia de alejandro christophersen

Published by Robert on 20 December 2007

Alejandro Christophersen, Recoleta Cemetery

From his last name, you can probably guess that he wasn’t of Italian or Spanish background. Born in Cádiz in 1866, Christophersen’s father was Norwegian & sent young Alejandro to Norway for university studies. He furthered his education in Brussels & Paris. Becoming a member of a prominent BsAs studio in 1888, Christophersen gathered enough clientele & clout to open his own office the following year. He spent three years in the province of Santa Fe but returned to BA in 1901 to become VicePres of the Sociedad Central de Arquitectos. At the same time, he created the School of Architecture as part of the University of Buenos Aires (no small accomplishment).

Over the next two decades, Christophersen reigned over Argentine construction & design mixed with brief periods in Paris where he studied painting. In 1930, he assumed directorship of the National Mortgage Bank but continued to work as an architect as well. Cristophersen died in 1946 in Buenos Aires leaving a legacy of 8 banks, 52 hotels/apartment buildings, 10 chapels/churches, 1 hospital, & 5 commercial buildings in Argentina. He’s widely regarded as the grandfather of Buenos Aires architecture.

Alejandro Christophersen, Recoleta Cemetery

For a look at some of Christophersen’s more important works, this post on our sister site Endless Mile discusses Christophersen’s legacy in Buenos Aires in detail.

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067. panteón de don manuel alcorta

Published by Robert on 19 December 2007

Manuel Alcorta, Recoleta Cemetery

Governor of the province of Santiago del Estero in 1830, Manuel Alcorta relocated near Buenos Aires after being ousted from office by a local military uprising. He & his brother, Amancio, owned much of the land west of Buenos Aires, later becoming the district of Moreno. Now part of the urban sprawl surrounding the capital city, Moreno is 17 km directly west of BA.

066. mansions of the night

Published by Marcelo on 18 December 2007

Marcelo writes about a recent photo exhibit:

Even though I’ve loved photography for a long time, I never had the chance to show my pictures in a exhibition. A couple of months ago, Eugenia—a dear friend from the “El Acorazado de Bolsillo” poetry magazine—offered to let me set up a one-night show in an old house in the city of La Plata (70 km south Buenos Aires). I had no doubt about the topic: images of cemeteries. I also chose the date for the show, November 2nd, traditionally known the Day of the Dead in many Western cultures.

I had a huge amount of photos to choose from, but most of them were taken with my old BenQ camera with very low resolution & I couldn’t make good large-size prints with them. But a week before the exhibition, Robert & I went again to Recoleta Cemetery & found a sky full of clouds, perfect for the macabre style of pics I wanted. Those photos were the core of the show.

Las Mansiones de la Noche, Marcelo Metayer

The exhibit was named “Las Mansiones de la Noche” and was a really great experience… a lot of people looking at the photos, discovering images & unexpected tricks of shadow and light. It’s as if the photos weren’t mine anymore… they belonged to the beholder.