Early Color Processes in Chilean Photography: Archives and Foreign Photographers (1890–1920)
with Samuel Salgado Tello
This presentation examines early color processes in Chilean photography at the beginning of the twentieth century through the presentation of the archives of León Durandin and Teodoro Kuhlmann and their main characteristics within the Chilean context. Both photographers, of foreign origin, developed a significant part of their work in Chile’s capital, Santiago, and in the country’s main port city, Valparaíso, and their archival holdings today constitute the most important collections of autochromes preserved in Chile. Rather than approaching color solely as a technical advance, the presentation situates it within a cultural, material, and social framework in which technical knowledge circulates, amateur and professional practices coexist, specialized photographic materials become available, and Chile is inserted into transnational networks of photographic production and consumption.
From this perspective, the archives are understood not merely as repositories of images, but as documentary ensembles that make it possible to reconstruct working methods, conditions of experimentation, and visual expectations associated with color. Between 1890 and 1920, photography in Chile underwent a period of expansion and diversification, marked by the growth of amateur photographic practice, the consolidation of professional studios, and the emergence of spaces of photographic sociability such as competitions, salons, and specialized magazines. This context encouraged technical experimentation and the testing of new procedures, including early color photography. The archive of León Durandin, a French photographer and photographic supplier based in Santiago, is central to understanding this process. In addition to his photographic production, Durandin edited the Manual for Amateurs in 1904, one of the earliest specialized technical publications produced in Chile, and from 1906 onward he was recognized as a pioneer of color photography in the country. His photograph An Ideal Courtyard (1907), reproduced in Zig-Zag magazine, is considered the first color photograph published in Chile. His archive preserves a significant group of Lumière autochromes, which allow an early examination of both the technical possibilities and the aesthetic uses of the process. The archive of Teodoro Kuhlmann, a photographer of German origin active between 1900 and 1940, offers a complementary perspective. His work occupies a space between advanced amateur practice and sustained technical experimentation, with a production linked to stereoscopic photography and the use of color. The presence of autochromes in his archive makes it possible to observe color as a practice of continuous trial, associated with portraits, urban views, and scenes of everyday life. Taken together, these archives invite a reconsideration of the early history of color photography in Chile from an archival and cultural perspective, understanding color not only as a visual attribute, but as a historical problem embedded in practices, materials, and local contexts of use.
Samuel Salgado Tello is a historian, curator, and researcher specializing in the history of photography in Chile and Latin America. Since 2008, he has served as Director of the National Center for Photographic Heritage (Cenfoto-UDP) at Universidad Diego Portales, where he has led major initiatives in the preservation, digitization, and dissemination of photographic archives. His work also extends to the field of digital humanities through projects such as datos.udp.cl and culturadigital.udp.cl. He holds a Master’s degree in History and Cultural Heritage Management and has extensive experience in curatorial practice, archival research, and cultural heritage policy. He has directed numerous research and preservation projects funded by national and international programs, including FONDART, FONDECYT, FMIM, and Fondequip, and has curated exhibitions at major institutions such as the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Museo de la Memoria, and the Biblioteca Nicanor Parra. Salgado Tello is an active member of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme – Chile, and collaborates with regional and international networks focused on photographic heritage. His publications include books, essays, and editorial projects that explore the intersections of photography, memory, and visual culture. His academic and professional practice is situated at the crossroads of visual history, archival studies, and digital technologies applied to historical research.”