This reel of 1958 home movies taken in Mexico provide a tourist’s eye view of natural landmarks and local attractions in and around Mexico City, including Parícutin volcano, churches of Morelia, CDMX street life, automobiles, market vendors, public parks, and entertainments enjoyed by visitors and locals alike (TRT: 41:19).
Two small children take a walk. Townspeople shade themselves under an awning. A white man in overalls waves to the camera as he climbs aboard a 1940s automobile. A portrait of a woman alone, and with the white man, showing a disparity in height (0:08). The active Volcán de Parícutin emits smoke in silhouette, as the sun rises in time-lapse footage. The volcano, located in Michoacán, near the city of Uruapan surged in 1943, becoming a popular attraction (0:50). A closer view (1:08). A white husband in a poncho and his wife in a red bandana dance a circle around a campfire with Mexican locals. Another white-haired man joins in (2:15). The group tours the surrounding lava flows, surrounded by charred trees, volcanic ash, igneous rocks, barren fields (2:50). More smoke. Some of the party ride burros (3:59). A panorama with ruins of San Juan Parangaricutiro Church (4:23). A high rise hotel. Our hosts peer through a garden outside a midcentury modern building. Historic cathedrals and churches of Morelia, including the Morelia Cathedral in Michoacan (6:15). Pedestrians with serapes and sombreros. A public park. The Tarascan Fountain (7:35). A colorfully painted building with matching flowers on its roof. The Morelia Aqueduct (8:04). Passengers board a train carrying sacks (8:38). The island of Janitzio in Lake Pátzcuaro. The distant statue of José María Morelos. Closeups of the shoreline with long canoes (9:08). Fishermen cast nets, then haul them in. A child stares into the camera (9:44). Closeup on the fresh catch of live fish (10:57). POV an automobile driving down an open desert road (11:17). Entering Mexico City (Ciudad de México, CDMX) among Chevy, Ford, Plymouth, Dodge cars. Monumento a la Revolución, a sign for American Airlines. A rocket shaped attraction, “La Orbitron.” Traffic with buses, taxis, and a red convertible. A roundabout and boulevard. A stoplight at a crosswalk (11:26). The Capri Theater marquee advertises Los Tres Ases, María Elena Sandoval, Pedro Vargas. The Paolo cinema is playing El Caso de una Adolescente (1958). The Orbitron, underexposed (12:51). A fountain in a public square near the skyscraper Torre Latinoamericana (13:28). Paseo de la Reforma and the Secretariat of Hydraulic Resources building (14:11). A bird vendor carrying a tower of cages (14:25). Central Offices of the National Lottery of Mexico in the El Moro Building on Paseo de la Reforma. A skyscraper with a concave facade (15:00). Mother’s Monument (16:39). A trained bird does tricks or children (17:34). The Benito Juárez Hemicycle. The Palace of Fine Arts. Street vendors. A double amputee weaving with his feet (18:19). Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana) from afar, close up, inside. Stained glass, lit candles, chandeliers (19:29). Pedestrians carry and sell produce at a street market. Bananas, watermelon, coconut, pineapple, citrus, pomegranate (20:11). Floral bouquets, wreaths and memorial arrangements (22:04). Modern architecture, construction, apartments (23:42). An artificial christmas tree, window shopping. Embroidery. An indigeonous mask, weavings, carvings, metalwork, serving trays, pottery, a precious moonstone (24:23). A wrought iron archway with deer. Montage: Residential architecture old and new (28:28). A field of flowers. An open air cafe. Mariachis, street sweeping, amateur mechanics (29:54). Rental canoes (31:02). A children’s narrow gauge train ride (31:34). Carnival thrill rides, including a chair swing (32:24). Trained, costumed monkeys ride dogs. Men in charro outfits, women in huipils. Aguas frescas. Men on horseback (33:07). A rodeo in slow motion. Cowboys or vaqueros chase and lasso cattle. Bullfighting toreadors (34:17). POV driving (36:02). A large estate. Empty streets (38:10). Crowded streets. Signs: “Hotel, Kodak.” Posters: “Aleman.” A fountain with a lion’s head in a public park (38:59). A sequence of collected Diego Rivera art prints (40:27). A dining terrace (41:01).
