One of my librarian friends back in the U.S. sent me a link to a project by the University of Chicago library: Late 19th- and Early 20th-Century Latin American Cities. Included are digital copies of 2 maps of Buenos Aires held by the University of Chicago Library’s Map Collection.
Like all good online maps these days, these feature that nice zoom-and-pan tool.
Buenos Aires, 1912
This map shows two barrios, Villa Alvear and Villa Malcolm, that have since been re-named as parts of Palermo. Personally, I like the older names.
Since tango is not a part of my Buenos Aires experience (and I don’t really wander around this part of the city too much), I didn’t realize that there is a tango joint called Villa Malcom. And here’s some video of tango dancing at Villa Malcom.
Map of Buenos Aires, 1916
Colorful isn’t it? Plaza Colón looked very nice back in 1916.
The map is quite extensive and covers the entire city, not just the downtown. Note the topographic contour lines showing the elevation.
I find myself at Bar Britanico a lot lately and blogging about its occasional celebrity clientele or El Hipopotamo across the street. But I’ve realized from Google that many people still find my June 2006 posting about the closing of Bar Britanico, which I forgot to update to reflect the re-opening of Britanico….oops.
…A later afternoon photo taken from the window of Bar Britanico, looking out on the intersection of Brasil and Defensa streets.
I’m taking on a new role as assistant editor of The International Literary Quarterly, starting with Issue 3 that is scheduled for release around the mid of May.
Under the guidance of founding editor Peter Robertson (a fellow resident of Buenos Aires), issue 3 of the literary review is shaping up with a list of outstanding writers. Here’s a preview of writers appearing in the upcoming issue:
Marjorie Agosin (a writer that I’ve mentioned before on this blog concerning her 1993 essay How to Speak with the Dead? A Poet’s Notebook)
Christopher Arkell
Michael Blumenthal
Jill Dawson
Denise Duhamel
Zulfikar Ghose
Roberta Gordenstein
Geoffrey Hartman
Irina Ratushinskaya
Anthony Rudolf
Issue 3 also will feature work by guest artist Lydia Rubio from Cuba.
