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Puerto Rico Portrait

Author: Staff
Photographer Jack Delano probably didn't realize what influence Puerto Rico would have on him when he began shooting there in the 1940s. Then again, Puerto Rico probably didn't realize what influence Delano would have on it either. First visiting the island in 1941 to document living conditions for the Farm Security Administration, Delano was touched by Puerto Rico's natural beauty and charmed by its people. He returned in 1946 with his family and a Guggenheim Fellowship to produce a book of photographs depicting the island's social conditions. From then on he called Puerto Rico home. Delano helped establish Puerto Rico's first public television station, illustrated children's books and composed music that was performed by the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. In the late 1970s, Delano and his wife, Irene, began photographing the same places he shot on his initial visit in order to document the changes that had occurred over three decades. Delano died in August 1997, but his work is showcased in the traveling exhibition, "The Art of Jack Delano," a tribute to his dedication to Puerto Rico and the enrichment of Latino culture. Organized by the Smithsonian Institution and sponsored by Puerto Rico's Banco Popular, the show features photographs, film stills, book illustrations, cartoons, posters, music and some personal effects. The bilingual exhibit was showcased at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. from September 15 to October 25 and at New York's Museo del Barrio from November 5 to January 17, 1999, and February 6 to March 1, 1999. Call 202-357-2700 or visit www.si.edu/sites for more information and additions to the itinerary.

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