A Picturesque Modernity in 1920s Peru and Argentina: Ruins, Cuzco and Americanism in the Photographic Reportages ofVariedadesandPlus Ultra

Photographic reportages on Cuzco, Peru, published in the 1920s by Variedades and Plus Ultra, reveal a dual discourse of modernity that challenged Western narratives. These images, blending aesthetic and documentary value, contributed to an indigenista proposal for national identity while familiarizing urban audiences with regional traditions through tourism and the picturesque. Comparative analysis with Argentine publications shows this trend was part of a broader Americanist movement shaping perceptions of tradition and modernization in the 1920s.

D’Argenio, M. C. (2017). A Picturesque Modernity in 1920s Peru and Argentina: Ruins, Cuzco and Americanism in the Photographic Reportages ofVariedadesandPlus Ultra. Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies, 26(2), 221–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569325.2017.1314261