Living in Peru : your everyday companion

In part two of this series of articles with photo comparisons (you can read part one here), most of the changes are rather subtle. Unless examined closely, you might miss some of the differences between the two.
Of course, you can see the signs of the modern world in the more recent photos.
Communication towers and a high rise or two show where none existed before, but the beautiful older Republican buildings built somewhere between 1919 and 1930 remain relatively unchanged.

In our first photo collage we see what is known as the Chinese Fountain. This fountain was built in Italy in the year 1921 by the sculptor Mario Vannini following the design of Gaetano Moretti, both Italians, and donated to the city of Lima by the Chinese community. It now sits at the center of the Parque de la Exposición. I can only see a minor change to the fountain: the addition of another ring containing water around the original. The major differences in these photos reside in the addition of an expansion to the Parque de la Exposición. You will notice that some of the trees are gone and a Japanese Garden has been added to the left of the photo. The streets leading up to the fountain are now enclosed within in the park.  One street, plus the round-about, have been removed entirely, as is the grass and shrubbery surrounding the fountain. There is a large modern building to the right in the background.
In our second photo collage, we see a shot from the corner of La Colmena and Av. Camana towards the church of La Recoleta in the Francia Square.  One of the things I like in the older photo taken in 1930’s is the “Wine Bottle” stop light. You will note that it is gone now in what I believe was a widening of La Colmena. The Balconies are gone on the second building on the right and it appears that the building on the left corner has been torn down and replaced with a more modern building. The former Engineering Society building on the right corner remains relatively unchanged between the two photos. From what little detail that can be discerned of the church at the end of the street, it seems that it also has changed little in the intervening years.

This is a shot of the same area containing the Gran Hotel Bolivar, the Teatro Colon and the National Club featured in the first article, only from a different angle and a later time. You will note that the Hotel Bolivar, built in 1924, has five floors and the dome over the Teatro Colon is gone in both photos. The National Club still retains its majesty and if you look closely in the background to the right side of the photo, you will see that the RCA sign on that building is gone now. The Hostal San Martin has not taken over the building between the Teatro and the Hotel either. The older photo was probably taken in 1940’s. The National Club has remained unchanged through this entire series of photos.

tags : Changes Lima, Peru modernity

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4 Comments

# Krishana Rivas says :
14 October, 2009 [ 06:14 ]

I love this idea! Everytime I go to Lima I always take pictures en el centro because so much of the original architecture is still preserved. It's like time stood still! Thank you, thank you , thank you.

# Zadith Córdova says :
17 October, 2009 [ 04:40 ]

Very interesting and nice pictures

# jorge meneses says :
18 October, 2009 [ 12:29 ]

WunderFull>>>>>

Please let Limenos and all Peruanos know about this present/past photos of  Lima which we all should love.

Jorge, in NYC

# Larry A. Sportsman says :
19 October, 2009 [ 11:23 ]

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Saving pictures of the past, help us remember what we should save for the future. the architecture is great and Peru has a good history to preserve.

semper fi

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