Carol M. Highsmith's Cuba

Carol M. Highsmith's Cuba shows about 400 photographs of Cuba from the Carol M. Highsmith Archive at the Library of Congress. You can view the photos in an adjustable-size grid with captions, view them full-screen, and see a slideshow. You can also browse to the Library of Congress record for an image, save it to your Photo Library, or order a print from Carol M. Highsmith's studio.

An internet connection is required.

All of the Highsmith photos are also available to anyone at the Library of Congress site. However, this app is much more convenient: The LoC site isn't well organized, it requires a lot of mouse-clicking to see all the images, and the slideshow requires Flash and won't work on iOS devices.

Here's a personal message from Carol herself about her trip to Cuba:

"In my life I have traveled to Europe many times and had the opportunity to visit China and the Soviet Union—even Siberia. I am now focusing my lens on the American landscape and spend most of my time in this country. However, I have always been interested in traveling to Cuba. I really don't know why. Maybe because it has been off-limits to Americans for so many years. Maybe also because it is a communist regime, it reminds me of China and the Soviet Union when I first visited those countries 25 years ago.

"When an opportunity arose this past year to take a trip to Cuba with the Cass Gilbert Society, I jumped at the chance. I knew the Library of Congress would be highly interested in any images I would capture there, and I wanted to see this country that has been so secretive.

"Cass Gilbert was the famous architect who designed the historic Woolworth Building in New York City. He also designed the capitols in Minnesota,New Jersey and West Virginia. The Cass Gilbert Society traveled to Havana to see if he was involved in the design of Cuba's capitol. As it turned out, he was not.

"I loved Cuba. Its structures are old and falling apart, but it has charm. For an American, I think the most amazing spectacle is all the vintage "American-made" cars. They are everywhere! It is really like walking into a 1950s movie set. For me, also, a highlight was going to the home of Ernest Hemingway, visiting the small fishing village that inspired his "Old Man and the Sea" novel and having a drink at the bar in Havana where he hung out.

"Cuba is 90 miles from America's shore, and yet it was like going back in time half a century. The contrast between Miami and Havana is quite a time-warp experience.

"I trust you will enjoy my views of Cuba. Someday, maybe not in the too distant future, Cuba will change, and these scenes will exist only in these images that are taken now. It is hard to tell what will happen to Cuba, but I will never forget what I saw and how interesting the country is right now. Over time, I hope Cuba is able to retain its Art Deco architecture and that its people will find full freedom to express themselves and live comfortably."

更新履歴
New app -- this is the first version.