"This is a very important and exciting book, one whose illustrations alone deserve to be seen. Bringing them together with these essays is a publication that is long overdue, one that will finally be available to North American audiences for both the generalist and the specialist, the artist and the writer."

—Michele M. Penhall, specialist in the history of Latin American photography

FotoFest 1992, a major festival of international photography, brought Latin American photography into focus for a wide audience. Offering a diverse selection of photographers, countries, artistic movements, and subject matter, the show revealed a photographic tradition rich in history and creativity.

Drawing from the more than 1,000 images exhibited by FotoFest, this book documents the work of fifty-two photographers from ten countries. The photographs range from the opening of the Brazilian frontier in the 1880s to a secret archive of documentary images from El Salvador's recent civil war to works of specifically aesthetic intent. Many of the photographs appear here in print for the first time.

Watriss's opening essay provides the curatorial overview for the book. Lois Zamora examines the roots of visual image-making in Latin American cultures. Boris Kossoy addresses the history of Latin American photography through the nineteenth century, while Fernando Castro covers the contemporary scene. With its compelling images and English-Spanish text, this book will serve as a benchmark for future studies of photography in Latin America.