Welcome back to Monochromes, a Friday mini-series wherein Curbed delves deep into the internet's photographic annals, resurfacing with an armful of old black-and-white photos of architecture and interior design. Have a find you want to share? Hit up the tipline; we'd love to hear from you.
Cuba's architecture is a fascinating mix of influences, from the patios and fountains introduced by the Spanish colonizers in the 16th century, to the cathedrals built in the simplified baroque style that caught on in 1700s, to the neoclassical theaters and colonnaded avenues of the early 1800s. As if that weren't enough, beginning in the 1920s, many swanky art deco and tropical deco buildings went up around the country, and a number of whimsical mock-castles were built. This historic architecture has remained all but untouched for decades, but thanks to the huge shift in U.S.-Cuba relations that began last month, tourism to Cuba is certain to increase, and hopefully preservation efforts will ramp up too. Below, a selection of archival building photographs from the University of Miami's expansive collection, all taken between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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· Cuban Photograph Collections [University of Miami, Merrick Library]
· All Monochromes posts [Curbed National]
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