Holiday in Turrialba! A photographic testimony of the inauguration of the bridge in Angostura, in 1923

Abstract

In Costa Rica, since Colonial times, the Reventazón River was the main geographic obstacle to building a road between the Central Valley and the Caribbean coast. This factor explains why the old road to Matina was substituted by the route that today connects Turrialba with Puerto Limón, through Siquirres. However, it was necessary to install a wooden bridge in 1865, which deteriorated over the years, thus justifying its replacement by an iron bridge during the government of President Julio Acosta García. Its inauguration, on June 3rd, 1923, gave rise to a day of festivities in Turrialba, of which 13 images taken by the famous photographer Manuel Gómez Miralles have been rescued. These so far unpublished photographs are shown in this paper, complemented with information from historical newspapers concerning this important event.

Received: 02-18-2019

Approved: 03-29-2019