The endurance of the icon. The role of historical narrative, photography, and print culture in Crónica oficial de las fiestas del Primer Centenario de la Independencia de México [Official Chronicle of the Celebrations of the First Centennial of Mexican Independence]

Abstract

In 1911, the Crónica oficial de las fiestas del Primer Centenario de la Independencia de México [Official chronicle of the celebrations of the First Centennial of Mexican Independence] was published by the government of Porfirio Díaz. This large format printed publication, featuring many photographs, was designed to attest to the regime's participation in the celebrations. This article analyzes how this graphic and print culture affects the reception of the book, reissued in 1990 and 2010, in historical studies of the period. The elaborate visual language outlined a strategy to disseminate the message of a modern country, studied through the observation of technically reproduced images that efficiently convey political messages. These qualities, along with a critical textual review, have contributed to making the book an object of select bibliographic and bibliophile appreciation, constructed from an elaborate strategy to ensure the survival of the Mexican presidential icon.