Rómulo Lachatañeré photographs of New York City and Puerto Rico

id
11985
origination
Lachatañeré, Rómulo
date statement
circa 1947 - 1952
key date
1947
identifier (local_mss)
186574
org unit
Photographs and Prints Division. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
call number
Sc Photo Portfolio (Lachatañeré, R.)
b-number
b22630276
total components
28
total series
0
max depth
2
boost queries
(none)
component layout
Default Layout
Extended MARC Fields
false
Extended Navigation
false
created
2026-04-27 14:10:32 UTC
updated
2026-08-14 02:09:12 UTC
status note
(missing)
Display Aeon link
true

Description data TOP

unitid
{"value"=>"186574", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"Sc Photo Portfolio (Lachatañeré, R.)", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"b22630276", "type"=>"local_b"}
unitdate
{"value"=>"circa 1947 - 1952", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1947/1952", "certainty"=>"approximate"}
unittitle
{"value"=>"Rómulo Lachatañeré photographs of New York City and Puerto Rico"}
physdesc
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"7 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"1.75 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear_feet"}]}
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"232 photographic prints", "unit"=>"photographic_prints"}]}
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"34 photographic prints", "unit"=>"photographic_prints"}, {"name"=>"physfacet", "value"=>"contact sheets"}]}
repository
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division</span>"}
langmaterial
{"value"=>"English"}
origination
{"value"=>"Lachatañeré, Rómulo", "type"=>"persname", "role"=>"pht"}
bioghist
{"value"=>"<p>Rómulo Lachatañeré, 1906-1952, was born in Santiago de Cuba. A self-taught ethnologist and photographer who moved to New York City in 1939, Lachatañeré wrote articles and two books, <span class=\"title\">Oh Mio! Yemaya</span> (1938) and <span class=\"title\">Manual de Santeria</span> (1942), on Afro-Cuban religious beliefs. He also wrote articles and news reports on the conditions of Puerto Ricans living in the United States, and race relations in Cuba. In the mid-1940s, Lachatañeré began using photography as a documentary resource, recording the social and living conditions of African Americans and Puerto Ricans in East Harlem and Brooklyn, New York. In early 1952, after photographing the conditions of workers and their families in Puerto Rico, Lachatañeré died in a plane crash returning to the United States. Film rolls, mailed to his wife Sara, were posthumously developed and organized as an exhibition by his colleague Jack Lessinger.</p>", "supress_display"=>true}
scopecontent
{"value"=>"<p>The Rómulo Lachatañeré photographs of New York City and Puerto Rico contain depictions of African Americans and Latin Americans living in New York City, from 1947 to 1951, and of workers and their families in Puerto Rico, in 1952.</p> <p>The New York photographs consist of candid shots and group portraits of children, women, families, and musicians, as well as views of New York families at leisure, street life, construction projects, and housing and living conditions. Primarily included are depictions of East Harlem. While most have no specific location noted, many photographs with noted locations depict between 102nd and 110th Streets, from as far west as the northern part of Central Park to Lexington Avenue on the east. Of note are two photographs of outdoor vendors at La Marqueta on Park Avenue.</p> <p>The Puerto Rico photographs depict children, families, and mostly male laborers, including sugar cane field workers, sugar refinery workers, salt flat workers, female laundry and sewing workers, and dwellings in urban and coastal environments. A candid shot of the photographer in Puerto Rico (1952) is included. Some images are only available as contact sheets.</p>"}
acqinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Acquired in 1988 and 1989 from Diana Lachatanere.</p>"}
processinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Arranged by Photographs and Prints Division staff. Finding aid created in 2026 by Jack Patterson.</p>"}
date_start
1947
keydate
1947
date_end
1952
date_inclusive_start
1947
date_inclusive_end
1952
extent_statement
1.75 linear feet (7 boxes). 232 photographic prints. 34 photographic prints : contact sheets
prefercite
{"value"=>"Rómulo Lachatañeré photographs of New York City and Puerto Rico, Photographs and Prints Division. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library"}
abstract
{"value"=>"R&#xF3;mulo Lachata&#xF1;er&#xE9;, 1906-1952, was born in Santiago de Cuba. A self-taught ethnologist and photographer who moved to New York City in 1939, Lachata&#xF1;er&#xE9; wrote articles and two books, <span class=\"title\">Oh Mio! Yemaya</span> (1938) and <span class=\"title\">Manual de Santeria</span> (1942), on Afro-Cuban religious beliefs. He also wrote articles and news reports on the conditions of Puerto Ricans living in the United States, and race relations in Cuba. In the mid-1940s, Lachata&#xF1;er&#xE9; began using photography as a documentary resource, recording the social and living conditions of African Americans and Puerto Ricans in East Harlem and Brooklyn, New York. In early 1952, after photographing the conditions of workers and their families in Puerto Rico, Lachata&#xF1;er&#xE9; died in a plane crash returning to the United States. Film rolls, mailed to his wife Sara, were posthumously developed and organized as an exhibition by his colleague Jack Lessinger. The R&#xF3;mulo Lachata&#xF1;er&#xE9; photographs of New York City and Puerto Rico contain depictions of African Americans and Latin Americans living in New York City, from 1947 to 1951, and of workers and their families in Puerto Rico, in 1952.", "generated"=>true}

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