Portraits of the Revolution

Portraits of the Revolution, 2016

The northern districts of Havana are an architectural treasure of colonial style, neoclassic, art deco, Spanish baroque, modernism and, surprisingly little brutalism. The 50 years of neglect have preserved Havana as a unique place without the architectural atrocities found so often in our modern cities. This architectural heritage, the abundance of American cars from the 1950s, and the life and character of its inhabitants make Havana one of the visually richest and photo-friendliest places to visit. At first sight, one has the impression that nothing ever changes; some of your images may have been shot last week or fifty years ago. But change happens, some of which I was, unintendedly, able to capture in a series of images.

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Americans in Havana

1952 Dodge Coronet 4-door Sedan

I had been aware of the pre-revolution US cars in Havana. But what came as a surprise were the tens of thousands classic automobiles still in circulation, as collective taxis, rented out for weddings and quinceanera parties (when girls turn 15), or used as tourist transport. The majority of them are Chevrolet and Ford, but also Buick, Dodge, and a variety of vanished brands such as Packard, De Soto, Mercury, Plymouth, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile. With no access to original spare parts, these vehicles are often assemblies of adapted parts from Soviet cars and trucks, and fitted with Hyundai or Mercedes diesel engines.

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An Engineer in Havana

Portraits of the Revolution: Che Guevara, Fidel and Raul Castro, Camilo Cienfuegos, La Habana, Cuba

Havana has been for long on my bucket list. Havana’s heritage of architecture, the abundance of American cars from the 1950s (used as collective taxis or tourist transport), and the life and character of its inhabitants make Havana one of the visually richest and – still – photo-friendliest places to visit. The rich color palette of the buildings combined with the tropical sun yields an amazing quality of light.

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