Research Questions/Intro
Running from 1898-1939, Caras y Caretas is a valuable primary source that reveals a lot about urban life in Argentina. The periodical contains an abundance of content, such as news articles, ads, short stories, political cartoons, photographs, and much more. Not many are aware of the existence of this magazine, and all that can be obtained from the enrichening source. This research kit will demonstrate that Caras y Caretas is easily accessible to all and how the primary source offers a look into the lives of the Argentinean upper middle class of the time, with an analytical approach to the contents of the magazine and what it reveals about its audience.
- How and what are the ways one can use HathiTrust to navigate Caras y Caretas?
- How can non-Spanish speakers use Caras y Caretas?
- How have other historians used Caras y Caretas?
- What does Caras y Caretas reveal about the Argentinean urban middle classes, and who does it exclude?
- What do ads reveal about social class and gender?
Narrative/Overview
It is important to recognize Argentina’s history as a literate culture described by Adolfo Prieto, “In 1882, with a national population of about 3,026,000, there were 224 magazines and newspapers in print, or one per 13,509 inhabitants, the third highest of anywhere in the world”(Prieto, 2). Caras y Caretas is a recognized Argentinian magazine that ran from 1898-1939. It was distinguishable with its ability to keep up with a modernizing Argentina during its shifting political and social context. What makes Caras y Caretas a remarkable source is its ability to present content across various genres, from sports, politics, beauty, familial, commercial, etc., appealing to its readers’ wide variety of interests. Its successful integration among the Argentine public allows for it to be described as a “guide for modern life” (Gamarnik, 123). Speaking to its popularity, a monograph centered around the first decade of publication of Caras y Caretas finds that “Distribution of ten to fifteen thousand copies of the magazine’s first issues soon skyrocketed so that by the end of its tenth year, Caras y Caretas reached a circulation of over one hundred thousand” (Fraser,13). The periodical’s ability to maintain an ironic tone and deliver a variety of quality content, such as photograph coverage of news, political and societal commentary, should be recognized. The magazine’s title translates into faces and masks, revealing the periodical’s ironic ideology. As explained in an essay titled “Caras y Caretas,” José Luis Murature says, “la cara no sirve al hombre más que para ocultar lo que siente” applied to the larger Argentine society, Murature suggests that the magazine’s goal was to unmask an Argentina, that concealed the reality of the country from its citizens (Fraser,10-11). With its enriching content, Caras y Caretas provides insight into the porteño lifestyle, specifically the range of middle classes. Observing the contents of the periodical with an analytical view can also reveal who the magazine excluded from its vision.
HathiTrust
https://www.hathitrust.org/
What is HathiTrust?
Caras y Caretas is easily accessible through HathiTrust, a digital library that offers around 9,000 full-text sources of the periodical. HathiTrust is the product of a partnership between academic and research institutions. Its focus has been on preserving and providing access to the digitized book and journal content from the member library collections. This includes both copyrighted and public domain materials digitized by Google, the Internet Archive, and Microsoft, as well as through local initiatives.
How to Use HathiTrust?
Additionally, HathiTrust provides features that facilitate the research experience. The digital library provides access to full-text volumes of the Caras y Caretas, from its first publications to publications from the 1920s. HathiTrust offers the ability to search volumes by publication year, as one collection may contain various volumes. The organization of the digital library allows for over 1,000 pages in one collection, and the variety of content offered by the magazine becomes evident. The quality of the pages allows for the text and images to appear clear and legible. Due to this, HathiTrust provides a feature for the individual to search keywords and a list of pages containing the word one is looking for. Because of the variation of the content in Caras y Caretas, HathiTrust allows the user to organize the pages into collections. For example, in my use, I have a collection titled “beauty” that contains ads applicable to my research. Users can also download the pages onto their devices as pdfs, images, or text from selected page numbers.
Accessibility to Non-Spanish Speakers
Caras y Caretas was a magazine available in Argentina, and although it did provide international coverage and commentary, it is entirely in Spanish. However, its accessibility through HathiTrust and the previously mentioned features allow non-Spanish speakers to understand the content of Caras y Caretas using Google Translate. One can either take a downloaded scan and input it into Google Translate or use the Google Translate app to capture a photo of the part that needs translation. With knowledge of how to navigate the source, there is no need for language to be a barrier against the enriching primary source, Caras y Caretas.
An analysis of the contents of the periodical reveals much of Argentina’s political and social culture at the time of its publication. Researchers and historians have found Caras y Caretas helpful because it provides support across various topics and disciplines. The following section will include examples of how historians have used Caras y Caretas to inform their studies.
Immigration, Photojournalism, and Theater Through the Lens of Caras y Caretas
In his book Cousins and Strangers, historian José Moya uses Caras y Caretas as a supporting primary source in his analysis of the Spanish immigrant experience in Argentina during the periods of European mass migration. In a letter published in the periodical titled “Mentiras Convencionales,” Molla explains the illusion of social mobility through the account of a Spanish immigrant writing to his family. The letter, accompanied by illustrations, is published with the intent to ridicule the Spanish immigrant for using hyperbolic language to hide the reality of his experience in Argentina. In addition, Molla gathers a list of stereotypical jokes about Spaniards throughout the magazine that informs porteño attitudes against Spanish immigrants.
In the article “La Fotografía En La Revista Caras y Caretas En Argentina (1898-1939),” Cora Gamarnik explains how the innovative use of photography in Caras y Caretas allowed the magazine to maintain pace with a rapidly modernizing Argentina of the early 20th century. The use of photographic images placed Caras y Caretas in a position to redefine the conventional magazine. With Caras y Caretas forming a press, photojournalism became integral to the magazine as current events and national festivities became covered. This function led to the circulation of news allowing Argentines to be informed of the events around them; the news that was once private became public. The use of photography in the periodical can also be seen in various forms, such as portraits, announcements, entertainment, and more. Gamarnik and many historians that have studied Caras y Caretas have found the targeted audience of the magazine to be the middle classes. Connections can be made as the inclusion of photographs in the magazine became a topic of contention fueled by the elite as they referred to the use of photos in the magazine as “vulgar”. In relation to social class, Garmarnik also discusses how the incorporation of photographs and caricatures allowed the audience of Caras y Caretas to grow, providing accessibility to an illiterate crowd most likely composed of the lower classes.
In “Cocoliche’s Romp: Fun with Nationalism at Argentina’s Carnival.” Micol Seigel explains the importance of Argentina’s carnivals for immigrants that performed in the festivities, integrating themselves with porteños and individuals of higher class. The assimilation of immigrants was a persistent goal throughout their history because of an abundance of negative attitudes from porteños in the claim to preserve the national identity of Argentina. From these festivities arose the cocoliche, “a figure developed by restrictionists to mock immigrants’ appropriations of the gauchesque”(Seigel, 62). In their disruptively comedic interpretations of gauchos, immigrants put on worthy performances where they took the opportunity to comment on the society of Buenos Aires and turn the crowd’s attention away from stereotypical narratives. Argentina’s racial preference towards whiteness played a role in their integration. They distanced themselves from marginalized groups such as indigenous peoples and Afro-Argentines, ridiculing their identities in performances by wearing costumes and doing blackface for the encouraging crowds. Caras y Caretas provides an insight into the perspectives of the Afro-Argentines in a statement given by the widow of the Afro-Argentine carnival society leader Regalado. She expresses her indignation at the appropriation of African carnival celebrations with immigrant use of racial parodies that she argued fed into racial assumptions made by the elite (Seigel, 69-70). The role of Caras y Caretas in the publication of this statement can be seen as it offers itself as a platform for the voice of a marginalized group.
Chapter Four, “Urban Narratives on Theater at the Intersection of Politics,” of Kristen McCleary’s forthcoming book, provides a section informing on the theme of fashion and gender in the culture of Argentine theater. Arguing that theatergoing was linked mainly to female fashion, she provides different fashion advertisements aimed at women attending the theater. She finds that discourse about appropriate theater attire was exemplified in the media narrated by male journalists. Such directions indicating appropriate attire held social class implications, as seen with women,” They were allowed to wear hats in the more popular theaters but obliged to remove them at the Colón, Opera and Odeón theaters, assumedly because the higher one’s social class, the larger the hat.”(McCleary,36). Throughout the chapter, there is mention of various newspapers and magazines that have contributed social commentary on theater fashion. Mcleary uses the example of a comedic caricature published in Caras y Caretas of a side-by-side comparison of a well-dressed couple and an older, gaudily dressed couple captioned “How everyone sees them”. This caricature informs the author of the element of gendered behavior when dressing presentably as a product of the patriarchy, “That is, the assumption about female vanity was not interrogated as an expression of patriarchal values that defined just how women might be allowed to appear in the public sphere”(McCleary,37).
Beauty and Gender in Caras y Caretas
The social construction of gender and beauty have commonly been linked to one another, with feminine beauty heavily embedded in everyday life and expanding through many cultures. In an Argentinean society with a history of European idealization, these advertisements give insight into the ideas of beauty for the Argentine upper middle class. It shows how Argentines adopted European beauty standards that confined women of all social strata to appeal to such expectations. The common theme of women needing to maintain their beauty for men can be seen in many ways throughout many media pieces. Caras y Caretas is not the exception but a reflection of urban Argentine societal expectations. In relation to its main audience of the middle classes, many of the ads found throughout the magazine are highly focused on beauty, specifically targeting women with illustrations, and some ads can be interpreted as targeting men more neutrally. The following ads found in Caras y Caretas give examples of the perception of beauty and gender in Argentina at the time of the magazine’s publication.
Ads from Caras y Caretas
“La Carmela” Caras y Caretas, January 1926 pg v.1422-1426 # 235
“La Carmela” Caras y Caretas, January 1926 v.1422-1426 # 33
This first beauty ad for “La Carmela” directly addresses women with an urgency to buy this solution to eliminate any gray hairs. The language and tone of the ad invoke indignation at the prospect of women having gray hair, in a denial of the natural aging process when it comes to women. The ad urges them to maintain their youth, most likely to appeal to the male gaze. The second “La Carmela” ad is for the same product, but the language and lack of illustration give a neutral indication of who the intended audience is. The same product is marketed as an “interesting experiment,” appealing to the reader’s curiosity. It can be inferred that it was most likely meant to get the attention of the men. The product’s price of 8-8.5 pesos can indicate the audience of Caras y Caretas. The ad was most likely chosen as an addition to the magazine if the people reading had the privilege to grieve about their graying hair and could spend money to dye it.
“Belleza Reflejada Por LYCISA” “Beauty Reflected by Lycisa” Caras y Caretas, April 1908 v.496
This beauty ad, for the facial powder “Lycisa”, is seen to be directed towards women as a form to conceal imperfections and rejuvenate their appearance. In connection with gender and beauty, the appearance of this ad in Caras y Caretas directed towards upper-middle-class women speaks to the idea that a woman must look perfect and young for their spouse using words such as “elegance” and “distinction”. A racial element can also be seen by observation of this ad promoting a need to bleach the skin to conform to this idealization of European “whiteness” that would elevate the standard of beauty to be whiteness.
“Bioforina Liquida de Roxell” Caras y Caretas, January 1926 v.1422-1426
Pictured above is an ad for a tonic that is supposed to revitalize someone in a weakened state by returning one’s appetite, their natural lively color, and promising to return one’s “satisfaction for living”. This ad can be seen to address a female audience because before the ad even mentions the name of the tonic, it has to draw in the reader by providing a distinction between skinny and slim. Of the two, the ad provides that a slim figure is a “natural state”, that all women should have, and these women will be better off in comparison to a “normal woman”. The ad wants to clarify that the reader should not confuse being slim with skinny. Explaining that a skinny woman loses all the attractive characteristics of her person, this reduces the woman to her image alone. Listing the unattractive features of a skinny woman, such as angular and firm lines, that would be of no issue when ascribed to men. It is important to note that the ad for this tonic is supposed to promote one’s general well-being by providing a remedy. Still, it also has this other side that tells women what they should aspire to look like and what bodily figure they should avoid. Its placement in Caras y Caretas as a commercial good marketed towards women tells them they must be slim to be beautiful.
Corsé “Tienda San Juan” Caras y Caretas 1915 v.883
Seen above is a promotional page for “Tienda San Juan,” a store in Argentina selling corsets. The corset is known for its function. It allows women to maintain or produce an hourglass figure, a common feature of beauty expectations throughout the history of women’s fashion. The language used in the ad for the corset brand “Gentil” is marketed as a “feminine garment meant to emphasize the elegance of a woman”, placing importance on her body shape. In order to persuade buyers, the garment is described as an essential piece to one’s closet, and that even as fashion trends are constantly changing, the corset will remain a constant part of women’s fashion. The illustrations of the women modeling the different corsets offer the interested reader an image of the femininity of the models depicting what one could aspire to look like if they purchased the corset. As a way to demonstrate its variety of options, the ad presents the corset to be available in gendered pastel colors and floral patterns commonly associated as feminine. A social class element can be seen as the ad displays three prices: the expensive corset valued at 15.80 pesos, a middle-range price of 9.50 pesos, and the least costly being 7.50 pesos. The range in price is probably due to the magazine’s popularity among the middle classes, where the upper middle class may have had a different price range than the lower middle class.
Primary Sources Annotated Bibliography
Ads
Corsé “Tienda San Juan” Caras y Caretas 1915 v.883
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2725211&view=1up&seq=21
“Biodorina Liquida de Roxell” Caras y Caretas, January 1926 pg v.1422-1426 #539
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x030598465&view=1up&seq=539
“Belleza Reflejada Por LYCISA” “Beauty Reflected by Lycisa” Caras y Caretas, April 1908 v.496
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112074564391&view=1up&seq=37
“La Carmela” Caras y Caretas, January 1926 pg v.1422-1426 # 235 and #33
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x030598465&view=1up&seq=235
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x030598465&view=1up&seq=33
Others
“El Cólera en Buenos Aires” Caras y Caretas, October 1908 v.522
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112074564417&view=1up&seq=5
Secondary Sources Annotated Bibliography
Adolfo Prieto, El Discurso Criollista,, Chapter Four, Urban Narratives on Theater at the Intersection of Politics, Social Class and Gender, pg,2, as cited in Kristen McCleary, All the City’s a Stage: Theater and the Formation of Race, Class, and Gender in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1860-1920,” University of Pittsburgh Press, forthcoming 2024.
Fraser, Howard M.. Magazines & Masks: Caras Y Caretas as a Reflection of Buenos Aires, 1898-1908. United States, Center for Latin American Studies, Arizona State University, 1987.
This monograph by Howard Fraser is an overview of the emergence of Caras y Caretas between the years of 1898-1908 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The source provides the reader with the goals that characterize the magazine (p.10,11). It contains documentation of the physical growth of the magazine during the ten-year margin as popularity increased over time (p.13). There is also an introduction to the periodical’s origins, offering the historical context of Buenos Aires during its creation (p.2). Fraser recognizes the extensive content of the magazine and aims to provide the reader with common themes and examples that can be found in Caras y Caretas.
Gamarnik, Cora. “La Fotografía En La Revista Caras y Caretas En Argentina (1898-1939): Innovaciones Técnicas, Profesionalización e Imágenes de Actualidad.” Estudos Ibero-Americanos, vol. 44, no. 1, 2018, p. 120–, https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-864X.2018.1.27391
This article by Cora Gamarnik analyzes how Caras y Caretas was among the first forms of media to include photographs. This had big implications for modernizing Argentina in the 20th century (p.122). Gamarnik presents that the use of photographs in Caras y Caretas would create its unique format redefining the conventional magazine of the time (p.123) The use of photographs in Caras y Caretas gave way to photographic journalism and the creation of a press that would inform the public through coverage of current news (p.128,131-2)
The article emphasizes the importance of Caras y Caretas as it kept track of Argentina’s changing social and political context. The content of the magazine is mentioned to have been diverse, appealing to a wide variety of different interests (p.126). However, it is recognized in this article that the intended primary audience of the magazine would have been the middle class, but it eventually became highly popular with the upper class (p.123). The article also discusses the attitudes towards including photography in the magazine (p.124-25). Garmika briefly explains how images were able to capture non-targeted audiences. (p.124)
Kristen McCleary, Chapter Four, Urban Narratives on Theater at the Intersection of Politics, Social Class and Gender, in All the City’s a Stage: Theater and the Formation of Race, Class, and Gender in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1860-1920, University of Pittsburgh Press, forthcoming 2024, pgs 34-37
Moya, Jose C.. Cousins and Strangers: Spanish Immigrants in Buenos Aires, 1850-1930. United States, University of California Press, 1998.
This is a book written by José Molla that primarily focuses on the influx of Spanish immigration to Argentina. With an analytical approach using his own research and a series of interviews, Molla aims to inform on the Spaniard immigrant experience. Chapter 5, where I find most of my research, informs on the Spaniard emigration process and the labor distribution in the Spanish community and provides evidence for immigrants’ social mobility.
This source is useful because it provides an example of how other historians have used Caras y Caretas. Molla uses Caras y Caretas to introduce the aspect of social mobility as a reality for some immigrants, but for most, the notion or idea of moving upwards socially would be a joke (p. 270-72). This hyperbolic use of language can be seen in a humorous letter from a Spanish immigrant to his family published in the magazine. The chapter also provides an insight into Argentinean attitudes toward Spanish immigrants with a long list of stereotypical jokes published in the magazine ( p.236-38).
“Our Membership.” Our Membership | Www.hathitrust.org | HathiTrust Digital Library, 2008, www.hathitrust.org/partnership.
Seigel, Micol. “Cocoliche’s Romp: Fun with Nationalism at Argentina’s Carnival.” TDR (1988-), vol. 44, no. 2, 2000, pp. 56–83. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1146847. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022.
Glossary
Social construction – The sociological theory that all reality and meaning is subjective and created through dynamic interactions with other individuals and groups.
Porteño – A native of Buenos Aires
Gaucho – the nomadic and colorful horseman and cowhand of the Argentine and Uruguayan Pampas (grasslands), who flourished from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century and has remained a folk hero similar to the cowboy in western North America.
Cocoliche- a figure developed by restrictionists to mock immigrants’ appropriations of the gauchesque (Seigel, 15-16)
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