JOSE AMADOR (1897–1965)

The visual force of this photograph lies not only in its historical value but also in its flawless composition, where spontaneity and documentary aesthetics merge with a unique naturalness. An image that had never been made public, drawn from the archives of the legendary Cuban photographer Amador Vales, a pioneer of photojournalism on the island and a direct witness to the great events of his century. Works of this nature, due to their rarity, context, and visual power, are considered true first‑order historical documents, sought after by collectors and museums around the world interested in Latin American photography and revolutionary iconography. JOSE AMADOR (1897–1965) Pioneer of Cuban photojournalism Childhood and training Félix Tomás Amador Vales González was born in the Canary Islands in 1897. After the Cuban–Spanish‑American War, his parents emigrated to Cuba and settled in Havana. From a young age he showed artistic leanings and, at just 16, in 1913, decided to leave his studies to join the Bohemia magazine, where he began as an assistant to the art director, Antonio Rodríguez Morey. This recognized his talent and encouraged him to study photography and engraving at the workshops of the newspaper La Discusión, under the tutelage of the prestigious master Federico Gibert. Thanks to his dedication, Vales rose from apprentice to photojournalist. In 1917, at only 20, he became the first photographer for Bohemia, marking the start of a career spanning more than half a century tied to Cuba’s visual history. Bohemia and the birth of Cuban photojournalism During his early years at Bohemia, Vales witnessed the magazine’s evolution into a modern, popular medium. In 1927, when Miguel Ángel Quevedo Lastra assumed the leadership, Bohemia modernized its format and gave prominence to imagery. Vales, as the sole fixed photojournalist, became an essential figure within this process, contributing a fresh and bold perspective that combined technique with artistic sensibility. At the same time, he opened his own photographic studio on Belascoaín Street, near the corner of San Rafael, known as “Foto Vales,” where he did portraits, ID photos, and postcards. He also collaborated with his former master Federico Gibert in organizing the photographic department of the newspaper El País between 1924 and 1927. In those years, photojournalism began to consolidate in Cuba. Until then, illustrated magazines depended on images provided by newspaper photographers, who worked independently. Vales was part of the first generation to professionalize the craft within an editorial staff, paving the way for modern photojournalism on the island. The reporter of difficult times Vales’s talent and courage became especially notable during the turbulent years of Gerardo Machado’s dictatorship. Bohemia openly supported popular causes, and Vales risked his life covering student protests and police repression. He earned a reputation for being intrepid: colleagues recounted that, being deaf, he did not hear the shots and continued photographing under fire, concentrating only on obtaining the best image. Professor and photographer Rafael Pegudo Gallardo remembered: “Vales always stood out for his audacity in photographing shootings and the brutal abuses of the machadista police… When Machado fell, on August 12, 1933, I ran into him at the gunfight in front of the Prado pharmacy. We both captured the moment when the people lifted the body of the chief of ‘la Porra’ onto the bronze lion of the Prado. Bohemia published Vales’s photo, which was better, and it circulated around the world.” During his career, Vales also documented natural disasters such as the 1926 cyclone, capturing emblematic images of Parque Maceo facing Havana’s seawall. His work was always characterized by immediacy, technical precision, and deep humanity. In the 1940s, Bohemia publicly highlighted his bravery. In a note dated January 13, 1946, it read: “In the times of turmoil in the streets of Havana, Amador Vales was the photographer who carried the best images for his newspaper. No one like him to wade into a tumult and move forward against the shots of the recortadas.” His deafness, which could have been a disadvantage, became his best shield: Vales did not hear the danger, only saw history. Final years and legacy Throughout his career, Vales witnessed military coups, eras of gangsterism, and revolutions. In January 1959, already veteran, he picked up his camera again to portray Fidel Castro’s triumphant arrival in Havana and the first steps of the new revolutionary government. In the 1960s, together with his son José Raúl Vales, he founded Studio Vales, located at Belascoaín Street No. 310, where in addition to photography serigraphy work was carried out. The studio was nationalized during the Revolutionary Offensive. On August 25, 1965, Bohemia published a moving obituary note: “At 68, the companion Amador Vales González passed away, who for more than fifty years, since 1913, was a photojournalist for Bohemia and other Havana publications. A true soldier of the news, through Vales’s camera more than half a century of Cuba’s history marched… In his steadfast view of discipline and camaraderie, Vales was a true innovator, as well as an exponent of generous human quality. His passing represents an irreparable loss for national journalism and a mourning for Bohemia.” For five decades, the signature “Vales Photos” appeared on Cuba’s most important graphic pages. His images became direct testimony of the country’s historical evolution, from cyclones to revolutions, including the daily life of a nation undergoing transformation. Value and relevance Amador Vales González is remembered today as the first professional photographer of the Bohemia magazine and one of the founding figures of Cuban photojournalism. His work, marked by courage, sensitivity, and social commitment, represents an essential chapter in the history of Latin American photography. His photographs come from the author’s personal and protected archive, and are considered pieces of great historical and documentary value, sought after by collectors and institutions recognizing in his work the pioneering eye of someone who photographed Cuba’s history from within. Note: Note: The image of the photographer Amador that appears last in the description is not included with the photograph for sale.

Estimation:€500

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