Shot by an unknown American traveler, this elaborate, silent home films displays some of the notable towns in Mexico as well as historic sites. Some of the areas to be visited include Cholula, Puebla, Tehuacan and Orizaba. Note: some portions of the film have heat damage from improper storage, which caused the Kodachrome color to separate.
The film opens with images of the famed church; Iglesias de Nuestra Senora de Los Remedios (:21). This is a 16th century Mexican Catholic parish constructed atop the T’lachihualtepetl Pyramid constructed by the Spanish. The camera zooms in on the church’s ornate dome (:28). The interior is decorated with gold leaf (:36). Puebla is the fourth largest city in Mexico. It sits on a plain with volcanoes in the background (:53). The stratovolcano known as Popocatepetl appears at (1:09). The city of Puebla is known for producing Talavera pottery and tile textiles (1:37). A Mexican woman stands in the doorway holding two jugs (1:45). A man hangs laundry on the line (1:52). Tools are sharpened by craftsmen (2:37). The home of governor Camacho of Pueblo is pictured in yellow stucco (2:47). A peacock wanders through lush shrubbery (2:55). A young woman plays by a bird cage (3:13). A ceremony follows, honoring the princess known as China Poblana (3:57). A resort hotel; Garci Crespo, situated near Tehuacan contains it’s own hot springs (5:25). Luxury pools and tennis courts follow (5:31). Mexicans mingle at the railway junction for Oaxaca (6:12). Tehuacan train station; a steam locomotive pulls a passenger train (6:28). Fresh fruits are loaded into baskets at the Saturday morning market (6:48). A donkey waddles forward with baskets hanging over the side (6:55). Woven baskets sit atop pedestrians heads (7:12). Houses in this narrow alleyway are constructed in an old aqueduct wall (7:46). Oxen move down the road with a covered wagon on route to Oaxaca for the Sunday market (7:56). Thatched huts (8:02) and cacti follow (8:11). The ruins at Mitla are of Zapotecan culture (8:32). This is one of the most important archeological sites. The outer walls are decorated with mosaics (8:43). Tlacolula market is one of the oldest continuous markets in Oaxaca (9:20). Vendors sell off foods to guests (10:13). The archeological town of Monte Alban is one of the most valuable sites in Mesoamerica (10:53). It was founded in 6th century BCE. Tourists lean against crumbled ruins (11:12). The entrance to the tomb within which royal jewels of Monte Alban were discovered (11:33). Pico de Orizaba has an elevation of 18,320 feet (11:58). A man rides a horse through the jungles of Ixtaczoquitlan (12:12). A highway cuts from Tehuacan to Orizaba (12:21). White flowers blossom on trees (12:56) and bananas grow upside-down (13:14). Orizaba was an old town prior to the settlement of the Spanish (13:25). A small child stands on the cobblestone streets as the film concludes (13:41).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
