The Railroad as Emblem of Progress: The Metlac Bridge

Main Article Content

Maricela Dorantes Soria

Abstract

The railroad was one of the most significant means of communication in the nineteenth century. Art works and prints were the means through which Mexico’s technological progress was depicted during this period. The erection of bridges for railroad tracks signified the imposition of progress over nature. The Metlac Bridge served as a model for the representation of this idea in different media: easel paintings, photographs, chromolithographs, lithographs and engravings. The goal was to demonstrate Mexico’s potential and economic prosperity, as well as to act as a legitimizing and legalizing instrument of concessions granted to foreigners by Porfirio Díaz.

Article Details

How to Cite
Dorantes Soria, M. (2017). The Railroad as Emblem of Progress: The Metlac Bridge. Bitacora Arquitectura, (34), 32–41. https://doi.org/10.22201/fa.14058901p.2016.34.58087

Citas en Dimensions Service

Author Biography

Maricela Dorantes Soria

Maricela Dorantes Soria. Maestra en Historia del Arte, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras-Instituto de Investigaciones
Estéticas, UNAM. Facultad de Humanidades y Área de Restauración, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
mds2707@yahoo.com.mx