Page 13 - Citing Primary News Today

This watercolor by Manuel María Paz (1820-1902) shows a scene in which Saliva Indians of Casanare Province (present-day Casanare Department), Colombia, are dancing and enjoying music. The watercolor is typical of Paz's work, which captured the diversity of the population of Colombia and depicted the daily activities and traditional customs of the country's different ethnic, racial, and social groups. Paz was born in Almaguer in the province of Cauca. He joined the Colombian army at a y...

This watercolor by Henry Price (1819--63) shows a large rocky structure against the background of a mountainous landscape. The small figures on the trail in the lower right emphasize the scale of the rock. The scene is from an area close to the present-day town of Entrerríos in Antioquia (present-day Department of Antioquia), Colombia. Price made several paintings of these conspicuous natural landmarks. Price was a British painter and musician who was one of the draftsmen of the Comisión Cor...

Claudio Gay was born in Provence, southern France, in 1800. In childhood he developed a deep fascination with the natural sciences. In his youth, he traveled extensively in parts of Europe under the direction of the Italian botanist Juan Bautista Balbis, visiting the French Alps, northern Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, and several Mediterranean islands. In 1828 the adventurer Pedro Chapuis invited him to come to Chile to teach geography. Gay accepted the offer, and lived in Chile until 1842, working...

This watercolor by Manuel María Paz (1820-1902) shows a dramatic landscape in Pasto Province (present-day Nariño Department), southwest Colombia. The rugged terrain and the surrounding mountains that block winds from the Pacific create favorable conditions for the growing of coffee, for which this region is famous. The region was also the site of the Battle of the Río Juanambú, in 1814, fought by Simón Bolívar in the war of independence against the Spanish. The watercolor is typical ...

This watercolor by Henry Price (1819--63) shows scenes of great activity on both sides of the Río Magdalena at Ambalema, a small city in the Andean highlands Province of Mariquita (present-day Tolima Department, Colombia). The Mesa de Herveo (also called Nevado del Ruiz) is in the background. The second highest peak in the Cordillera Central of the Andes, the Nevado del Ruiz is an active volcano that rises more than 5,000 meters above sea level. Price was a British painter and musician who was...

The figures depicted in this watercolor by Henry Price (1819--63) represent sacred symbols, probably made of gold. The province of Antioquia, Colombia, was famous for its abundance of gold, prized by both the indigenous people and the Spanish colonizers. Price was a British painter and musician who was one of the draftsmen of the Comisión Corográfica (Chorographic Commission), a body tasked with studying the geography, natural resources, natural history, regional culture, and agriculture of ...

This watercolor by Manuel María Paz (1820-1902) shows three young men wearing ruanas (ponchos). Locally made from alpaca, vicuña, or llama wool, these garments are known for their bright colors and their warmth. The scene is set at the edge of the town of Túquerres in Túquerres Province (present-day Nariño Department), in southwestern Colombia. The town is located on a high Andean plateau some 3,000 meters above sea level. The watercolor is typical of Paz's work, which captured the...

In 1853, after the arrival of Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794--1858), there was an urgent need to introduce Western learning and technology in Japan. The Bakufu (shogunate) therefore devised a plan to acquire Western ships and to send Japanese to study abroad. At first Japan considered the United States as the best country from which to order warships and to send students, but it was unable to do so because of the American Civil War. The Bakufu therefore approached Holland and negotiated and fi...

Claudio Gay was born in Provence, southern France, in 1800. In childhood he developed a deep fascination with the natural sciences. In his youth, he traveled extensively in parts of Europe under the direction of the Italian botanist Juan Bautista Balbis, visiting the French Alps, northern Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, and several Mediterranean islands. In 1828 the adventurer Pedro Chapuis invited him to come to Chile to teach geography. Gay accepted the offer, and lived in Chile until 1842, working...

Eduards Kraucs (1898--1977) was a renowned Latvian photographer and cinematographer who, between 1936 and 1940, documented the construction of the Ķegums Hydro Power Plant on the Daugava River in central Latvia. This photograph, taken on February 22, 1939, shows the control room at the power plant. The plant was a unique engineering structure for the Baltic countries and Northern Europe, involving a collaborative effort of Latvian and Swedish engineers. Technological solutions new to Europe we...