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: smallholders queuing outside the agricultural co-operative to collect their milk money. - Book: Picture 87 - 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: 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

A weaver with her spindle makes yarn from sheep's wool. Mancos in the Callejón de Huaylas, Department of Ancash. - 1969

A weaver with her spindle makes yarn from sheep's wool. Cajamarca Region in North Peru. - 1969

One of the most attractive forms of Peruvian crafts is the decoration of dried gourds. The artist from the «Centro Artesanal de Huancayo» uses a sharp piece to draw scenes from everyday life. - 1969

Potato harvest near the village of Jerónimo in the department of Apurímac, Peru. The tradition of communal farming dates back to pre-Inca times, creating a solid foundation for agricultural collectives and cooperatives. - Book: Picture 177 - Peru - 1969

Although the scene in the photograph is visually very reminiscent of the Mongolian steppe, the terraced slopes used for farming in the background, as well as the rider’s clothing (a typical Andean hat and poncho), clearly point to the highland Pampas regions of the Peruvian Andes. The photograph was taken 20 km from Andahuaylas. – Peru – 1969

A shepherdess with llamas and alpacas on the Altiplano, on the road from Abancay to Puquio. - Book: Picture 96 - Peru - 1976

This young indigenous woman is taking part in the traditional Inca ceremony Inti Raymi (the Festival of the Sun), which is celebrated annually on 24 June. Her clothing and headdress have symbolic significance. She is wearing an ornate crown made from dried agave leaves (maguey) and decorated with small sea snails. Her body is wrapped in a long robe made of natural moss. Beneath it, a traditionally colourful, patterned woven fabric can be seen. – 1969

Whilst the main ceremony of Inti Raymi (the Inca Festival of the Sun) traditionally takes place on the esplanade of the Sacsayhuamán fortress, the dances and musical accompaniment are often moved to Cusco Stadium to accommodate the crowds, as seen in this photograph, taken on 24 June 1976. The musicians play the traditional Peruvian Andean harp (Arpa andina) and violins to accompany the traditional dances (Danzas) from the various provinces, which are performed in honour of the sun. – Cusco – Peru – 1976

A 3.700 m de altitud se alzan las cuatro terrazas de Tampu Machay, el «baño del Inca». Unos nichos trapezoidales adornan el «templo del agua» más elegante, que servía para la purificación ritual del monarca y su esposa, la Coya, con motivo de su unión ritual. – Cuzco – Perú – 1969

Checacupe is a traditional village in the district of Checacupe (Canchis Province, Cusco Region) in southern Peru. The region is renowned for its historical significance, the preservation of indigenous traditions and Andean craftsmanship. The large earthenware jugs are known as urpus (also called raquis), which are typically used for the fermentation and transport of chicha (traditional maize beer) or water. The jugs are wrapped in thick, hand-woven ropes (Qeswa or Ichu grass ropes) to secure them for transport on the back or on pack animals. The clothing and distinctive hats are typical of the Quechua people of Canchis Province in the Cusco Region. – 1969

Sunday market in Chinchero, Cusco Department. Just as in Inca times, one can still recognise tribal or local affiliations today by the hats or the patterns on the ponchos. For example, the Cuzqueños wear a sort of doctoral cap; the hat from Pisac is gently curved, and those wearing the stiff white hats with coloured ribbons all come from the same area. - Book: Picture 112 - Peru - 1969

Sunday market in Chinchero, Cusco Department. The equivalent of a European sausage stall – an open-air kitchen. - Book: Picture 115 - Peru - 1976

Sunday market in Chinchero, Cusco Department. Chicha seller – maize beer was probably known soon after maize was first cultivated. - Book: Picture 113 - Peru - 1976

Using a traditional hand spindle (known as a ‘pushka’), this woman spins raw wool into yarn. The spindle consists of a wooden rod and a whorl, which acts as a flywheel to stabilise the rotation as the fibres are drawn out. This centuries-old technique is still practised today in the Peruvian Andes to produce fine yarns for handmade textiles. – Cusco – Peru – 1972

Fruit sellers at Cusco railway station. - Book: Picture 114 - Peru - 1973

The procession in honour of the ‘Señor de Choquekillka’, the principal patron saint of the Inca city of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This major local event is celebrated every year around the Christian feast of Pentecost in May or June. It combines Catholic traditions with ancient Andean customs to form a significant cultural syncretism and has been declared part of Peru’s national cultural heritage. The villagers carry the cross, richly adorned with flowers and white robes, from the main church through the streets of the town. The relic being carried is an ornate cross which, according to local legend, was found in the nearby Vilcanota River at the beginning of the 20th century. – Peru – 1969

The clothing, the hats and the playing of the pututo conch shell are deeply rooted in the vibrant culture of the Cusco region and are still proudly displayed there today at festivals and receptions. The pututo is a traditional wind instrument made from a large sea snail, which has been used in the Andes since Inca times for ceremonies, rituals and long-distance communication. – This photograph dates from 1969 and was taken in Ollantaytambo. The person behind the player is an alcalde (mayor) with his staff, the varayoc, which translates as ‘the lord of the staff’. – Peru – 1969

During the Whitsun festival in Ollantaytambo, this mask is worn by the dancers of the Ukuku troupe. These mythological figures represent beings that are half-human and half-bear. They act as humorous yet disciplined intermediaries between humans and the mountain gods (Apus). During the colourful processions through the Inca streets of Ollantaytambo, they maintain order, joke with the spectators and accompany the holy cross. – Peru – 1969

Indigenous people in the small church at Ollantaytambo in the Urubamba Valley, above Machu Picchu, in the Department of Cuzco. Under the zealous Spanish missionaries, the indigenous people were very quickly converted to Catholicism; yet, on closer inspection, the old customs and deities can still be found beneath the European veneer in all the rites. For example, St James, the patron saint of the Spaniards, is celebrated with great fervour on 25 July, yet at the same time this day marks the festival of the mountain god Taita Wamani, and Pachamama, the Mother Earth from pre-Inca times, is today identified in many places with the Virgin Mary. - Book: Picture 108 - Peru - 1969

Cereal harvest near Tiobamba in the Cusco region. In the background rises Nevado Chicón, a glaciated peak in the Urubamba Cordillera, some 5,530 metres high. – Peru – 1969

An indigenous man in the Altiplano of Peru plays the zampoña with a dreamy expression; its sounds (perhaps a ‘Yaraví’ or a ‘Triste’?) seem to capture all the melancholy of the vast expanse and solitude. - Book: Picture 6 - Peru - 1976

A campesino from the village of San Antonio de Chuca, Arequipa Department, Peru. The ear-flapped hat, known as a ‘chullo’, protects against the often biting cold of the Altiplano. Occasionally, the indigenous people wear a hat over the chullo to shield themselves from the glaring sun. - Book: Picture 82 - Peru - 1969

A charango player in the department of Cuzco, Peru. Stringed instruments appear to have been unknown to pre-Columbian civilisations. The original charango is a small guitar whose soundbox is made from an armadillo shell. Its rather high-pitched sound is produced by five or six pairs of strings. - Book: Picture 143 - Peru - 1976

This photograph shows a ceremony for Pachamama, which was held at 4 am at -17 °C. The offerings consist of coca leaves, salt, brandy, chicha, cigarettes and food (Puno Department, Peru). - Book: Picture 111 - Peru - 1969

Nothing illustrates the economic and social diversity better than farming methods. Whilst tractors are used in some areas, the indigenous people on their small farms still work the fields in a way that has not changed since the time of the Incas. - This image shows the breaking up of the soil with the taclla, an agricultural tool originating in the Peruvian Andes. It is essentially a long-handled spade that the Incas have used since ancient times. Its shape allows it to be pushed with the foot into hard ground. - Book: Picture 90 - Peru - 1976

Photo taken in the Peruvian Altiplano in winter. An indigenous woman with a child in the Department of Puno. She is collecting dried llama or cow dung to use as fuel. - Book: Picture 93 - Peru - 1976

An indigenous woman cooking with her child on her back. She uses dried llama or cow dung as fuel and stokes the embers with a blowpipe. Puno Department, Peru. - Book: Picture 117 - Peru - 1976

An indigenous couple return with their llamas from the market in Sicuani in the department of Cuzco. - Book: Picture 103 - Peru - 1973

On Lake Titicaca, near Puno, the Uros people live on artificial, floating islands made of dried totora reeds, which have to be renewed regularly. Both the huts and the traditional reed boats (balsas) are made entirely from the totora reeds that grow in the lake. – Peru – 1969

An indigenous woman in a reed boat on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. As the lake is only a few metres deep over large areas, the indigenous people use a long pole for poling as well as the reed sail. The striking resemblance of these reed boats to depictions of papyrus boats in ancient Egyptian tombs, together with certain parallels between Mesoamerican cultures (for example, the Maya pyramids) and the culture of the Nile Valley, has given rise to the most daring hypotheses. Thus, a few years ago, Thor Heyerdahl attempted to cross the Atlantic in a papyrus boat. However, this does not disprove the assumption that similar environmental conditions and the inherent properties of the available materials must lead to analogous solutions. - Book: Picture 145 - Peru - 1969

A woman of the "Uros" who lives on the floating islands on Lake Titicaca. She still grinds the wheat as it did hundreds of years ago. - 1969

These melon-shaped hats (often called ‘bombín’) are characteristic of the indigenous people of the Altiplano in Peru and Bolivia. The clothing in this region reflects the centuries-old traditions of the indigenous communities. – Puno – 1972

The Fiesta del Gran Poder, the Festival of Divine Power, in La Paz is arguably one of the largest and most colorful religious celebrations in Bolivia. The photo shows the characteristic Diablada dancer—the devil, who embodies evil and dances frenetically against the forces of good throughout the hours-long procession, only to be ultimately defeated by Divine Power. - Book: Picture 150 - Bolivia - 1976

The festival is officially known as the ‘Festividad del Señor Jesús del Gran Poder’. It is celebrated in honour of a representation of Jesus Christ and blends Andean beliefs closely with the Catholic faith. Although the Morenada is regarded as the dominant dance of this festival in La Paz, groups performing the Diablada (as pictured here) open and enrich the spectacle with great vigour and magnificent colours. The dancers belong to one of the traditional fraternities that parade through the streets of the capital every year in May or June. – This huge celebration has also been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. – Bolivia – 1976

The Fiesta del Gran Poder, the Festival of Divine Power, in La Paz is arguably one of Bolivia’s largest and most colorful religious celebrations. The photo shows the characteristic Diablada dancer—the devil, who embodies evil and dances frantically against the forces of good throughout the hours-long procession, only to be ultimately defeated by Divine Power. - Book: Picture 151 - Bolivia - 1976

The Fiesta del Gran Poder, the Festival of Divine Power, in La Paz is arguably one of Bolivia’s largest and most colorful religious celebrations. The female dancers may be inspired by the North American tradition of majorettes. - Book: Picture 152 - Bolivia - 1976

A traditional devil’s mask (Máscara de Diablada), typically worn at the Chilean festival ‘Fiesta de la Tirana’, at the ‘Festividad de la Virgen de la Candelaria’ in Puno, Peru, or at the Bolivian ‘Carnaval de Oruro’. – This dance symbolises the eternal struggle between good and evil. The dancers dress up as devils (Lucifer or demons), who are ultimately defeated by the Archangel Michael and submit to the Virgin Mary. A magnificent, colourful multi-headed dragon is mounted on the mask. In Andean iconography, European conceptions of the devil blend here with indigenous mythical creatures (such as the sacred snake Amaru) and Asian influences. The large, protruding eyes are intended to create a fixed, terrifying gaze. The mask features a wide-open mouth with pointed teeth and a protruding tongue, which emphasises the demon’s malice and ferocity. – La Paz – Bolivia – 1976

A dancer in a traditional, vibrantly coloured red devil’s costume from the Diablada dance troupe. The Diablada dance depicts the struggle between good and evil and forms the centrepiece of the various carnivals in the Andean region around Lake Titicaca. The ornate devil’s mask is adorned with horns, snakes and glittering embellishments. The dancer wears a red costume featuring embroidered aprons, metallic embellishments and distinctive boots. – La Paz – Bolivia – 1976

The Fiesta del Gran Poder, the Festival of Divine Power, in La Paz is arguably one of Bolivia’s largest and most colorful religious celebrations. - Book: Picture 153 - Bolivia - 1976

Three prospectors in the Bolivian Cordillera Real at an altitude of 4,640 metres. Together, these three treasure hunters mine easily accessible deposits of tungsten, tin and gold; they call their method ‘makipura’. - Book: Picture 175 - Bolivia - 1976

An indigenous man from Tarabuco in the Bolivian department of Chuquisaca. His cap is reminiscent of the shape of Spanish helmets from the time of the Conquista. - Book: Picture 144 - Bolivia - 1976

Photo Gallery