The blue city of Jodhpur - Rajasthan - India

India - Rajasthan - The blue city of Jodhpur Brahmin

India - Rajasthan – Jaisalmer, fortress town in the Thar desert

The population explosion in South America goes hand in hand with urban overcrowding: in Lima, thousands of people who cannot find housing live crowded together in makeshift neighbourhoods known as barriadas. - At the foot of Cerro San Cristóbal - Rimac neighbourhood - Peru - Lima - 1969

The capital of Peru is a city of contrasts. You can see all different types of people in the crowds flowing past. An Indian woman who has come down from the mountains offers tropical fruit for sale. - Peru - Lima - 1969

In the slums, everyone tries to improve their living conditions as best they can. - At the foot of Cerro San Cristóbal - Rimac neighbourhood - Peru - Lima - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
«Nombril» sacré de l'Empire du Tahuantinsuyo, aujourd'hui capitale archéologique de l'Amérique du Sud, Cuzco est une triple ville inca, coloniale et républicaine, millénaire et mystérieuse. Face à la Plaza de Armas, l'ancienne Huacaypata cérémonielle, s'élève l'église baroque de la Compania de Jésus, là où se dressait l'Amaru Cancha de Huayna Capac.

At the Plaza de Armas in Lima, a popular meeting place for tourists and locals alike, a shoe polisher sits on a small stool. He takes the opportunity to run his small business and polish people's shoes. - Peru - Lima - 1969

These women sell their fish at a market in the Rimac neighbourhood of Lima. The pelicans are waiting to get their hands on a bite. - Peru - Lima - 1969

In the city centre of Lima, Avenida Nicolás de Piérola, from ‘Plaza Dos de Mayo’ towards ‘Plaza San Martín’ (Hasselblad with telephoto lens 500) - Peru - Lima - 1969

The Jirón de la Unión is a street in the Damero de Pizarro in the historic centre of Lima, capital of Peru. For many years it was the most important street in the city, characterised for being the most ‘aristocratic’ and where the most famous inhabitants of the city gathered. Later, with the deterioration of the historic centre of Lima, the Jirón de la Unión lost its aristocratic character to assume a totally commercial one after the recovery of the sector. Since 2005, with the revaluation plan for the historic centre of Lima, it has once again become one of the most commercial thoroughfares in the centre of Lima. In 2013, it was voted the sixth most expensive street in Latin America by Colliers International. - Peru - Lima - 1969

In the Belén district of Iquitos, families with many children are not rare. - 1969

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. With a population of around 15 million, it is the largest city in South America. It stretches across the entire back part of the Río de La Plata estuary and is made up of a number of neighbourhoods, each with its own special face. In the peripheral zones, there are gardens full of colourful flowers. In the heart of the capital, large parks are somewhat reminiscent of those of London, which may have been their models. In these magnificent parks, many citizens spend their Sundays and holidays. The centre, where the skyscrapers stand, is teeming with life. This is the seat of trading houses, banks, hotels, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, nightclubs and cabarets. You can also see magnificent avenues in this district. The "Avenida 9 de Julio" is considered by Argentines to be the widest in the world. - 1973

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. With a population of around twelve million, it is the largest city in South America. It stretches across the entire back part of the Río de La Plata estuary and is made up of a number of neighbourhoods, each with its own special face. In the peripheral zones, there are gardens full of colourful flowers. In the heart of the capital, large parks are somewhat reminiscent of those of London, which may have been their models. In these magnificent parks, many citizens spend their Sundays and holidays. The centre, where the skyscrapers stand, is teeming with life. This is the seat of trading houses, banks, hotels, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, nightclubs and cabarets. You can also see magnificent avenues in this district. The "Avenida 9 de Julio" is considered by Argentines to be the widest in the world. - View of Buenos Aires from the Olivetti Tower. - 1973

The Calle Florida is an elegant shopping street in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. Sections of it have been a pedestrian zone since 1913. - 1973

The Avenida de Mayo is a large avenue in the Montserrat district of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Planned as a majestic boulevard based on the Parisian model and opened on July 9, 1894 after heated arguments, the Avenida de Mayo is now a symbol of Argentine-Spanish relations and reflects the social problems of Buenos Aires. The avenue, lined mainly with maple-leaved plane trees, connects the historic Plaza de Mayo with the Plaza del Congreso (picture) and halfway crosses the 16-lane main artery Avenida 9 de Julio. - 1973

The Casa Rosada is the palace of the President of Argentina. It is located in the capital Buenos Aires on the east side of the Plaza de Mayo in the Montserrat district. - 1973

The city of Salta was founded by the Spanish in 1582. It lies at an altitude of 1187 m above sea level. The Church of San Francisco shows Spanish colonial style. - 1973

Tegucigalpa is the capital of Honduras and is the largest city in the country. It is located in the southern part of the country in a high basin on the banks of the Río Choluteca river at around 940 metres above sea level. The river water is used for washing clothes. - 1977

The capital of El Salvador at dusk. The city lies on a gentle slope at the foot of a volcano. It is constantly growing and currently has 600,000 inhabitants. This increase in population is due not only to a demographic explosion recorded elsewhere in the continent, but also to the migration of landless peasants to the city. These population movements generally take place in two stages. First, the natives settle in a provincial city. Then they move to the capital of the nation, which exerts an irresistible attraction on them. They are often called by relatives or friends and share their lives with them for a time. Then they become independent, but only if they have found work, which is unfortunately not always the case. Thus, vast shanty towns are created on the outskirts of the towns, forming a veritable belt of misery. - 1977

La Antigua lies at the foot of the Agua volcano. Of Guatemala's first capital, known in history as Ciudad Vieja, only very few remains remain today. The city was destroyed by earthquakes and floods as early as 1541. The Spaniards were forced to build a second capital, called La Antigua, which soon became a brilliant centre of intellectual and religious life in the subcontinent. However, the volcanic nature of the region would once again cause destruction on a massive scale. In 1773, following very strong tremors that had already occurred in the first half of the 18th century, La Antigua suffered desolation and death, forcing the Spaniards to build a new capital. Unfortunately, the latter, like the two previous ones, was not to be spared. The violent earthquake of 4 February 1976 caused the death of twenty-three thousand people. - 1977

Guatemala City, the current capital of the country, lies at an altitude of 1,500 metres on a vast plateau surrounded by hills shaped by erosion. Six hundred thousand people live there. This number is constantly growing due to the constant migration of landless peasants attracted by the bright lights of the city and guided by the hope of finding an occupation that would allow them to meet their daily needs. The owners of the houses in the residential areas maintain gardens where a multitude of tropical plants and flowers grow. - 1977

Guatemala's capital, like other Central American cities, offers the traveller many contrasts. The poorest neighbourhoods stand next to modern buildings or churches, most of which date back to the colonial era. In the old quarters, traffic is heavy and sometimes problematic due to the narrowness of the streets. Bus lines are used by the inhabitants to get to any part of the city. Other lines provide connections to the most remote parts of the country. - 1977

Aerial view of Quezaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala. To the left of the centre of the picture you can see the cathedral. - 1977

A canal runs through the town of Belize. It is lined with houses of characteristic architecture. The corrugated iron roofs are a fairly effective protection against your inclement climate, marked by abundant rainfall. In British Honduras, rainfall reaches at least three metres per year. At times, your significant drop in atmospheric pressure heralds the appearance of a cyclone that has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and then moves towards your islands in the West Indies, still affecting your northern regions of Central America. - 1978

Street scene from the city of Belize. The majority of the inhabitants of Belize are coloured, Mayan, Mestizo, Antillean, Mulatto, Syrian, Lebanese and Chinese. All these people speak a language with Spanish, English and French elements. British Honduras or Belize is a small country that is hardly spoken of, at least not in Europe. - 1978

Domino players in Belize City. Games are an important part of the daily life of people in the tropics, so much so that they sometimes take precedence over other more lucrative activities. However, it should be taken into account that life in these latitudes is already difficult because of the heat and humidity. In any case, the natives could not maintain a work rhythm similar to that of the inhabitants of temperate regions. - 1978

View of Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Nouakchott's convenient location on the Atlantic Ocean in the south of the country was chosen in 1958 to build a capital for the newly independent country on the site of a village with 500 inhabitants at the end of the French colonial period. Due to the rural exodus caused by economic crises and droughts in the 1970s and 1980s, it has since grown, largely unplanned, to over one million inhabitants. A large proportion of those who have moved in live in sprawling neighbourhoods in cheap accommodation with inadequate infrastructure in all areas. - Mauritania - 1968

The famous ‘Blue City’ of Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The densely packed blue houses are mainly located in the old quarters below Mehrangarh Fort. Traditionally, the blue colour indicated that the houses were inhabited by Brahmins, the highest caste in Hindu society. – 1990

A densely built-up neighbourhood in Jodhpur, known worldwide as the ‘Blue City’ due to its distinctive blue-painted houses. Originally, members of the Brahmin caste painted their homes blue to signify their social status and to distinguish their houses from those of other social classes. As the region lies on the edge of the Thar Desert and is exposed to extremely high temperatures, the lime-based blue paint serves to reflect sunlight. This keeps the interior of the buildings noticeably cooler. Copper sulphate was mixed into the traditional lime paint. This chemical compound not only produced the deep blue hue, but also effectively protects the masonry from termite infestation to this day and keeps mosquitoes at bay. – 1990

The famous ‘Blue City’ of Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The densely packed blue houses are mainly located in the old quarters below Mehrangarh Fort. Traditionally, the blue colour indicated that the houses were inhabited by Brahmins, the highest caste in Hindu society. As the region lies on the edge of the Thar Desert and is subject to extremely high temperatures, the lime-based blue paint serves to reflect sunlight. This keeps the interiors of the buildings noticeably cooler. The blue colour also serves to keep the houses cooler in the hot climate and to repel mosquitoes. – 1990

The historic Chhatri of Kirat Singh Soda is located within the grounds of the famous Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur. It is a memorial (cenotaph) to the brave soldier Kirat Singh Soda, who fell here whilst defending the fort. The pavilion stands on a raised platform, features intricately designed columns and is crowned by a large stone dome with richly decorated panels. The entire structure is built from weather-resistant red sandstone, typical of the region. – 1990

A view from the ramparts of the majestic Mehrangarh Fort over the historic old town of Jodhpur, also known as the ‘Blue City’. The densely packed clusters of houses, painted in indigo blue, dominate the entire cityscape. Traditionally, the blue wall paint signalled membership of the Brahmin (priestly) caste, but today it also helps to keep the buildings cool in the desert heat. In the foreground, one can see one of the typical, ornately decorated sandstone pavilions (chhatris) and the massive fortification walls of the fort. – 1990

A panoramic view of the city of Cusco, taken from the hills near the Sacsayhuamán fortress. The name Cusco means ‘Navel of the World’. According to Inca mythology, the sun god Inti sent his children, Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, down to Earth. They were to found a city wherever a golden staff sank effortlessly into the ground – this happened in the fertile valley of Cusco. In the 15th century, the ninth Inca ruler, Pachacútec Yupanqui, radically transformed the city. He expanded Cusco in the monumental stone style and arranged the city plan in the shape of a puma – the symbol of power and strength. The head of the puma was the zigzag fortress of Sacsayhuamán. – 1969

Cuzco, situated at 3,500 metres above sea level and known as the ‘Navel of the World’, was founded by the Incas around 1100 AD. In 1536, the conquistadors destroyed the city and rebuilt it in the Spanish style, making use of many Inca foundations. Thus, the buildings themselves clearly illustrate the coexistence and simultaneity of two peoples and cultures, as is evident in the colourful street scene. The vast majority of the 120,000 inhabitants, however, are still indigenous people. Cuzco is the starting point for visits to most of the major Inca sites such as Pisac, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuamán, but it also boasts magnificent examples of Spanish colonial architecture: the cathedral, the Jesuit church of La Merced, the churches of Santo Domingo – built on the site of the ancient Inca sun temple – and Belén de los Reyes. During the reconstruction following the 1950 earthquake, efforts were made to restore the churches to their original appearance from before 1650. - Book: Picture 80 - Peru - 1969

A panoramic view of La Paz, the seat of government in Bolivia. The photograph was taken from the surrounding mountains and captures the city’s unique topography, which stretches across a vast valley basin in the Andes at an altitude of over 3,600 metres. The dense urban development, which extends from the valley floor up the steep slopes, is clearly visible. In the background lies the snow-capped Cordillera Real. The striking, towering peak on the right is the majestic Illimani (6,438 m), the city’s local mountain and its landmark. In the foreground are steep, rugged rock formations typical of the geological features surrounding the La Paz basin. – 1976

With an elevation ranging from 3,630 to 3,770 meters, La Paz is the highest capital city in the world. It lies in a basin on the edge of the Altiplano, which shields the city from the high-altitude winds; the more affluent neighborhoods are therefore located as low as possible in the valley. Originally an Aymara settlement, the town was expanded by the Incas and conquered by the Spanish in 1535. With 800,000 residents, La Paz is home to about 14 percent of the country’s population, and 60 percent of Bolivia’s industrial production is concentrated in the greater La Paz area. - Book: Picture 149 - Bolivia - 1976

With a population of three million (1977), Santiago de Chile is one of the five largest cities in South America. It lies at the foot of the Andes and is traversed by the River Mapocho. Founded in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia on the Cerro de Santa Lucía, the city initially spread out around this hill. The centre remains the Plaza de Armas (above), where the cathedral – which has been destroyed several times – the bishop’s palace, the post office and arcades lined with shops are situated. Although the Spanish colonial grid layout still predominates, only a few old buildings have survived due to various major fires and earthquakes. More than half of the country’s economic activity is concentrated in and around Santiago; with its universities and technical college, its significance extends far beyond Chile. - Book: Picture 163 - Chile - 1976

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