A craftswoman weaving a traditional toquilla straw hat (often mistakenly referred to as a ‘Panama hat’). Cuenca in Ecuador is regarded worldwide as the most important centre for the production and export of these famous toquilla straw hats. They are painstakingly hand-woven from the fine fibres of the toquilla palm. Whilst the weaving of the rough forms often takes place in the surrounding villages of the province of Azuay, the hats are washed, bleached, moulded into shape and finished in the workshops and factories in Cuenca itself. The traditional weaving of these straw hats in Ecuador has been officially inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. – 1977

Cuenca in Ecuador is regarded as the global centre for the processing and export of genuine toquilla straw hats. Whilst the fine straw is harvested on the coast and is often woven by hand in rural areas, the hats are finished in Cuenca’s renowned workshops. The hat blanks are cleaned to preserve their characteristic light colour. The protruding straw strands visible in the photograph are carefully trimmed by hand. The hat is shaped into its typical form using either traditional or modern hydraulic presses and heat. Finally, the inner sweatband and the classic black outer band are sewn on. – 1977

Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the flower offerings: every year, during the Christmas midnight mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the flower offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers in specific round shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create arrangements in the shape of branches. - Book: Picture 39 - Ecuador - 1976

Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the offering of flowers: every year, during the Christmas Midnight Mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the floral offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers into specific circular shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create branch-shaped arrangements. - Book: Picture 36 - Ecuador - 1976

The Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the offering of flowers: every year, during the Christmas midnight mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the floral offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers in specific round shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create branch-shaped arrangements. - Book: Picture 38 - Ecuador - 1976

An indigenous woman from the Saraguro culture in the province of Loja, Ecuador, recognisable by her traditional clothing and distinctive white felt hat. The woman is wearing striking silver earrings and traditional beaded necklaces. A silver brooch (‘Topo’, a traditional garment pin) holds her dark cloak in place over a red blouse. – Ecuador – 1977

The Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. The topos – the pins used by Saraguro women to fasten their ponchos – are unique to this tribe in that they feature a sun-shaped head. In Peru, they are spoon-shaped. - Book: Picture 37 - Ecuador - 1977

In Cajamarca, situated at an altitude of 2,960 metres, Francisco Pizarro lured the Inca Atahualpa into an ambush and took him prisoner. To this day, the ‘Camara de rescate’ is on display – the room that Atahualpa had filled with gold. However, the ransom did not save him from a violent death. Cajamarca has largely retained its colonial character to this day, and with its 30,000 inhabitants, it is a bustling market town: Cajamarca’s traditional hats are made from toquilla straw (plant fibre). - Book: Picture 85 - Peru - 1976

In Cajamarca, situated at an altitude of 2,960 metres, Francisco Pizarro lured the Inca Atahualpa into an ambush and took him prisoner. To this day, the ‘Camara de rescate’ is on display – the room that Atahualpa had filled with gold. However, the ransom did not save him from a violent death. Cajamarca has largely retained its colonial character to this day, and with its 30,000 inhabitants, it is a bustling market town: a market vendor spins her wool as she walks. - Book: Picture 84 - Peru - 1976

In Cajamarca, situated at an altitude of 2,960 metres, Francisco Pizarro lured the Inca Atahualpa into an ambush and took him prisoner. To this day, the ‘Camara de rescate’ – the room that Atahualpa had filled with gold – is on display. However, the ransom did not save him from a violent death. Cajamarca has largely retained its colonial character to this day, and with its 30,000 inhabitants, it is a bustling market town: a market vendor carries her new hat home on top of her old one. - Book: Picture 86 - Peru - 1976

An indigenous woman from Chinchero wearing the hat typical of the Cuzco region. The borders on the top of the hat symbolise the Inca empire of Tahuantinsuyu, the empire of the four corners of the world with Cuzco at its centre. The delicate motifs on the manta are also characteristic of this region. - Book: Picture 101 - Peru - 1969

The striking redness of this child’s cheeks is typical of the inhabitants of the Altiplano. It is caused by a combination of thin high-altitude air, intense UV radiation and an icy wind. The child is wearing a typical, thickly woven woollen tunic or poncho, which provides protection against the extreme temperatures and the cold at high altitudes. The dark felt hat (often known as a bombín or bowler hat) is a key cultural symbol of the indigenous people of the Bolivian Andes. – Escara in the Department of Oruro – Bolivia – 1976

An indigenous woman from the region around San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile. She is wearing the wide-brimmed straw hat (sombrero de paja) typical of the Andean region, which serves as essential protection from the sun in the Atacama Desert – the driest place on earth. Her deep wrinkles and dark complexion reflect the extremely harsh climate, the intense sunlight and the harsh aridity of the Chilean highlands. – Chile – 1976

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