The film showcases changes in the urban fabric, architecture, landscape, and social life of the city over nearly a century. The event will take place at 6:00 PM in the Cinemateca of the La Valona building on the Elche campus, with free admission until full capacity.
Speakers will include José Jurado Ramos, president of the El Pirulí Cultural Association, the entity that made this documentary possible based on an idea by Juan Antonio Cuesta Martínez; and Jerónimo Guilaber Requena, collector and editor of the old ‘Loty’ photographs that form the project's basis. Following the screening, they will engage in a Q&A with the audience.
The documentary is the result of a research project focused on recovering, documenting, and analyzing ‘Loty’s’ photographic legacy in Elche in 1931. Through retrophotography, historical and contemporary frames are placed side-by-side to highlight the city's urban, architectural, landscape, and social transformations.
The initiative aims to highlight these Valencian documentary funds, crucial for Elche's collective memory, and facilitate their conservation and accessibility, serving as a cultural, educational, and informative resource. The presentation is part of the activities of the Chair of Audiovisual Analysis and Prospecting (CAPA UMH), funded by the Consell de l’Audiovisual de la Comunitat Valenciana (CACV).
Charles Alberty was a French merchant and industrialist who promoted documentary photography in Spain during the 1920s and 1930s. He is known for founding the commercial firm that originated the Archivo Loty, a valuable collection of thousands of photographs of landscapes, monuments, and customs in Spain and Portugal. While Alberty managed the business and postcard sales, the bulk of the photographic work was carried out by Portuguese photographer António Passaporte.
The event will be moderated by Leónidas Spinelli, a professor in the Audiovisual Communication and Advertising Area at UMH and a specialist in photography history, alongside UMH professors Montserrat Jurado Martín and Jesús Mula Grau.
