FAMILIAS: Santa Rosalia

Los Angeles based photographer, Ellen Friedlander, and Rick will be photographing portraits and recording oral histories of families in Santa Rosalia, Baja Sur, Mexico, October 13 - November 12, 2019, in conjunction with the town’s House of Culture.

~ an 8”x10” portrait will be provided to each participating family free of charge

~ individual portraits will also be photographed

~ an exhibition of the portraits will be displayed at the House of Culture in the center of town during the project

~ a book of portraits and family stories, in both Spanish and English, will be published and made available throughout Baja

~ gallery exhibitions will be sought in Ensenada, Tecate, San Felipe, San Quintin, San Ignacio, Mulegé, La Paz, Los Barriles, Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos

~ the project will include teaching an after school digital photography class to local students and also creating hi-res, archival images of the deteriorating historic photos on display at the House of Culture

If this project is successful, a similar one may be undertaken in nearby Guerro Negro, home to Exportadora de Sal, the greatest salt mine in the world.

SCHEDULE

The project was conceived when Rick visited Santa Rosalia in October, 2018, during a solo motorcycle trip the length of the Baja peninsula. He was warmly welcomed during two stays in this small mining town while photographing local people in the town center.

During scouting trips in April and September, 2019, Rick met with town officials to engage their support and make preparations for the work to be done in October, 2019.

Families will be photographed Thursdays and Fridays, 5:00 - 7:00 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 - 3:00 pm, at the Mining Museum. Individual portraits will be taken at the historic, abandoned mine.

SPONSORSHIPS

Sponsorships to underwrite some of the project’s expenses have been sought from El Boleo Mine, as well as Canon, Fuji, Freestyle Photographic, and Polaroid Originals.

SANTA ROSALIA’S HISTORY

Santa Rosalia is a fascinating, beautiful small port located on the Sea of Cortez. Originally founded in 1705, the town failed to prosper until copper was discovered and the El Boleo mine was established in 1884, by a French company. As such, much of this Mexican town’s architecture is uniquely French Colonial and its unusual church, clad in iron panels and rivets, was designed by Gustave Eiffel (Eiffel Tower). The town’s history has been interwoven with that of the mine ever since.