The Diplomat in Spain

Spain’s history during a short period of time, 20 years, is the reason for the photographic exhibition that the National Library of Spain shows in the Room of the Muses of its building at Recoletos Avenue, 20-22, in Madrid, until next 14 September. Among the photographic collection kept in this institution, there is an important number of photographs from the 19^th century standing out for their relevance and variety representing the different ways followed by the evolution and the development of the photographic phenomenon since its public appearance in 1839.

Different pieces of this collection have been carefully selected for this exhibition. There are pieces made between 1850 and 1870 in Spain, when important photographers in the history of photography of the 19^th century worked in Spain, among them Charles Clifford, Jean Laurent, José Martínez Sánchez, Alonso Martínez y Hermano, José Spreafico, Joaquín Pedrosa, etc. There are also some anonymous photographs of great interest.

This collection is also very rich regarding the thematic variety represented, which is the reflection of the graphic potential appreciated in photography since its birth, having an important task as a transmitter of visual knowledge of different fields of interest such as: the great advances resulting from industrial revolutions, the great public works carried out in the 19^th century, the arrival of the railway, the great international exhibitions; the archaeological discoveries; the portraits of relevant figures in different fields; or the capture of art pieces and monuments.