Henry Klumb House, San Germán
Description
Front view of a two-story house in the town of San Germán. The dwelling is surrounded by a concrete wall and a metal bar fence. On the second level, the house has a balcony surrounded by a low concrete wall. The residence has lattice-style windows and a fabric curtain to the far left. In front of the home there is a parked vehicle and several persons.| Origin Name |
CAJ_4126_F0001_R
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| Relation |
Archivo de Arquitectura y Construcción de la Universidad de Puerto Rico > Colección Carol F. Jopling > Caja 4 - Inventarios
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| Geographical Coverage |
San Germán
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| Date |
1979-01-31
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| Descriptive Notes |
The title, date, and address were provided by the Architecture and Construction Archive of the University of Puerto Rico (AACUPR). In the file provided by the archive, the following information is clarified: "Fotógrafo: Carol F. Jopling, estudiantes de arquitectura o Earth watch Volunteers". On the back of the photo, there are handwritten notes that read: "Museum house Doctor Santiago veve St. San Germán 1-31-79"". Some of the photos found in the archives of this collection are repeated and show the same houses because they document other formats created for the research project led by Carol F. Jopling and were taken on different occasions (example: 35mm negatives, color, black and white, instant photos, photos that were brightened or with contrast). The image has stains at the top.
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| Descripción decolonial |
We see a two-level concrete home in San Germán, once the capital of Spanish colonial administration in western Puerto Rico. San Germán's history reflects the island's enduring colonial legacy spanning centuries. This residence showcases Tropicalismo modernism, a symbol of societal change shaped by an ongoing US colonial presence following Puerto Rico's Commonwealth Status in 1952 and the ascent of the island’s first elected Puerto Rican governor, Luis Muñoz Marín. This architectural style epitomized the emergence of a middle class under "Operation Bootstrap," a collaboration between the US government and Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company. While industrialization transformed the island, it also entangled it in Cold War competition, sidelining equitable housing and environmental concerns. This paradox is vividly illustrated by an electric pole and palm tree, resembling support beams in front of the home. A signage advertising a galeria, possibly a photo gallery, completes a loop of visual rhetoric, highlighting photography's role in a repeating colonial discourse embedded in modernity.
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| Historical Background | |
| Architectural Subject |
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| Decolonial Subject | |
| Rights |
English Rights. (hyperlink)
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| Editor |
Fundación Luis Muñoz Marín
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| Resource Format |
JPEG
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| Resource Type |
Image
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