The iconic symbolism of a photograph of La Puerta / By Oswaldo Manrique

For chroniclers and historians, finding a photograph related to the research they carry out is obtaining a revealing graphic testimony of the moment, event or character that is captured; This allows us to detail and scrutinize different elements and circumstances in it, which derive from its reading and observation, which obviously help to contextualize and characterize it. Here I am going to refer to one of those graphics, which these days celebrates 75 years of having been taken, and which has traveled pleasantly around the world.

The iconic entrance to the town of La Puerta, in 1949

This photograph, descriptive of the entrance precisely in the La Hoyada sector, on what is now Bolívar Avenue, where the entire urban route of La Puerta begins, has illustrated an interesting historical moment of the isolated rural town, in its beginnings along the path of tourism and of the process of formation as a tourist “destination”.

Our collaborator Alfonso Briceño, who helped us with data for the chronicles of Pancho Delgado and the Chopos rebellion, as well as José de las Mercedes and his time, sent us this old photograph as a reminder, accompanied with this note: > (Data taken from WhatsApp message sent by Alfonso Briceño. 12-08-2023).The photograph seen in general, in fact, captures Calle Real, in a North-South direction, from Calle 1, to the San Pablo Apóstol temple. You can easily see that the street was dirt and had been recently patrolled.

Doing a contextual exercise of this photographic image from 1949, a confusing time, in which a new dictatorial period was entering Venezuela, in La Puerta, a few years before they had built a road and put the Hotel Guadalupe into operation, the dean of the hotel industry. western; Likewise, they had Plaza Bolívar built and it even had a bust monument in honor of the Liberator, donated by President Isaías Medina Angarita, that is, it was moving towards its consideration as an attractive, welcoming and tourist town.

Without a doubt, the beautiful photograph was taken by the tourist as an element of personal memory, she could not have imagined that it would travel the world and pass through these years through technological and digital elements of coloring and improvement, which would give it a modern aesthetic look. .

The iconic real estate heritage

In the first block on the right side, according to Alfonso Briceño, > (Briceño).

Briceño himself, nephew of one of the characters in this photograph (Esteban Briceño), guides us in relation to houses, businesses and properties, pointing out: >it is said that they were from Germany or another European country. Note on the corner of the next block, a house that has a zinc roof, rammed earth walls, 6 wooden doors on its front with Bolívar Avenue, and on the 2nd Street side, it has 2 doors and 4 wooden windows, currently It is deteriorated, but still standing. Most of the houses of the time had sash roofs, very few had tiles.

The Restaurant of the Hotel Europa (later Pensión Momboy), enjoyed the peculiarity that foreign tourists who stayed at the Hotel Guadalupe, when they arrived in town, looked for this place to eat, for its fine and elaborate dishes typical of European gastronomy. The clientele that went to him commented that, > (See our article: Restaurants and Hotels in La Puerta. On the portal: lapuertaysuhistoria.blogspot.com). Jesús Pacheco and Golfredo Sánchez worked here, with whom I was able to talk about this topic.

The telegraph poles

In the same sense, Alfonso Briceño comments that: >could also have been from “Tirindí”.

Andean rurality is printed in photography, > (cited note), characteristics of this valley.

On the left sidewalk, there are four interesting points:

The House of Silvio Quintero, in front of the “Lolo” Winery, which is where you can see this man greeting or witnessing the words that Esteban and “Maneto Polo” say to each other; The difference in level between the width of the sidewalk and the street is noticeable.

In front of the Hotel Europa, the House of Benito Sánchez, who had his family business of Creole foods.

A little further on, where you can see two or three people standing on the sidewalk, one of the oldest houses in the town was La Tienda de Tolentino Pacheco, and one of the most stocked and frequented. Every morning, the neighbors saw the doors of the well-known Tolentino store open, by its owner, because his family home was also there and he was recognized as a good neighbor.

In the end, the photo allows us to see the Church Tower, which > (Briceño). The church tower has been the eternal symbol of La Puerta, despite the capricious architectural design, in the 1964 remodeling; Since the beginning of the last century, poets and historians have called it: > (Abreu, 32), At that time it had centuries-old bells, which were taken a few years ago, without permission from the community.

Of the iconic and popular characters

José Esteban Briceño. Very clearly and having discussed it with his father José de las Mercedes Briceño, he tells us the following: > (Briceño)his uncle Esteban, lived two houses away from the winery, which is why he frequented it.

The “Maneto Polo”. On the right side appear 2 well-known characters in the town: Esteban Briceño, Alfonso’s uncle, he tells us that > (Briceño); However, the memory of our elders is that “Maneto Polo” had a physical handicap in one hand, despite having that defect, he was very hard-working and also had a happy and easy-going temperament.

Silvio Quintero came to temper and stayed

On the opposite sidewalk, left side, appears in a window, Mr. Silvio Quintero, who arrived at the time with his family to the town to temper, > (Briceño)it happened to a lot of people.

He added about Silvio Quintero, that, > (Briceño). This character was originally from Zulia.

José María Rueda, the first telegrapher

Once the telegraph poles were installed, the first telegraphers who arrived at La Puerta were seen as strange, as mysterious and evil people, as spies and informers. This is what happened with the first of them, José María Rueda, who after rigging the town, turned out to be a poet and played mandolin (Abreu), essential for popular meetings and celebrations. According to local historiography, Rueda, in the morning, when they brought him breakfast to the telegraph office, and he saw the arepas, he said:
– The Sun of America has arrived!

Tolentino Pacheco, the shopkeeper

The house that served as the location of the Tolentino Pacheco Store (today is Empanadas La Hoyada), Bolívar Avenue, between streets 2 and 3, the 4 doors and windows and the hallway can be seen, a sign of prosperous commerce at that time.

It was in operation for around 50 years, it was characterized by the things it sold. There came a time when, in addition to clothing and footwear for women, men and children, he also sold basic necessities and quality items for families and others that could only be found in his store, such as those made of wood by himself. Tolentino was a native of Mendoza 1903 and died in 1987; His daughter Carmen Pacheco succeeded him in the business.

Don Benito Sánchez, alchemist with the royal dittany

José Benito Sánchez Matheus, native of Escuque, Trujillo State. He was born on March 22, 1931. He had his Creole food restaurant business, in front of the Hotel Europa. His son Wilfredo Sánchez revealed to us about his father that, > (Manrique, Oswaldo. Don Benito Sánchez and alchemy with the royal dictator. On the portal: lapuertaysuhistoria.blogspot.com 2019).

Without a doubt in the history of photo-tourism, this is a beautiful example of photography that makes a piece of our ancient Andean rural reality endure. The digital age and technological changes may bring us new satisfaction with this iconic image.