The photo entitled “Newspaper Kiosk” is a black and white photograph capturing a busy sidewalk and its surroundings in the heart of Mexico City. Tulane University places this image somewhere between the years of 1850-1900, a significant period in Mexican history that marks the transition of Mexico City from a conservative hub to a liberal mainstay of the Benito Juárez presidency. The image includes a few residential and commercial buildings, clearly modeled after European architecture, and depicts various townspeople dressed in fashions that reflect their wealth. Despite the bustling nature of the picture, the clear focal point of the image is a small newspaper kiosk and the line of patrons outside of it.
The existence of the newspaper kiosk itself leads me to believe that this photograph is more accurately pinned to the Juárez presidency rather than the Porfiriato period. The Juárez presidency and the constitution born from La Reforma period stressed the importance of free speech and widespread education. In a healthy democracy, the promotion of literacy and freedom of the press are cornerstones to the system and its well-oiled function. Best stated by Safford, “[Liberals] called not merely for individual freedoms but for an absolute freedom of conscience, of the press, of education, and of commerce” (Problems 108). The Porfiriato regime was known for a distrust of the press and participated in the consolidation of newspapers into El Imparcial, a state funded newspaper that silenced competing papers. Other publishers could not keep up with the low cost of the government regulated paper as well as the active silencing of journalists during the Porfiriato period (Excelsior).
Another signifier of this photograph belonging to the Juárez presidency is the existence of a storefront operating under the name “Philipp,” a name that is traditionally of German origin. The operation of a business by presumably foreign occupants could reflect the liberal free trade reforms and openness to neoliberalism that was proposed through La Reforma. Liberalization often included an adherence to capitalist structure, making the existence of foreign companies in Mexico likely. Of the people in the photograph, there are men and women of various social status based upon their appearance. A woman in the forefront wears long shawls while another sports a tailored, tiered dress. One man wears a formal three piece suit while most others opt for presentable yet casual button ups and slacks. The coexistence of varying social classes in the urban city center are not out of place as the Juárez presidency made social mobility a possible achievement. La Reforma period birthed a new generation in terms of social origin as it was mostly composed of people whose social mobility relied on liberal reforms made possible during the Independence era. (Problems 106).
