My first stop in Peru was Arequipa, the second largest city in the country with a population of almost one million people.  Known as the “White City” because many of its buildings are built of a white volcanic rock called sillar, several of its Spanish colonial buildings are excellent examples of the churrigueresque, a form of the Spanish Baroque distinguished by its elaborate use of ornamentation.

The Jesuit church of La Compania is a wonderful example.  Begun in 1654, the facade was completed in 1698.

Cloister of La Compania

Details of column in La Compania cloister

This was not my first exposure to this style of architecture.  Many of the buildings designed by Bertram Goodhue for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego were of this style.  And they, of course, were featured on postcards published by Fred Harvey.

 

La Laguna de las Flores, Panama-California Exposition

La Laguna de las Flores at the Panama-California Exposition

While these views fail to show the detail, check out my close-up of a building facade along the El Prado.

Balboa park building facade

For an in-depth discussion of the churriqueresque in Arequipa, see “Embroidery in Stone.”

For the first time,  I actually had the opportunity to stay here.  While it was nice and had the ambiance of a luxury hotel, the Rim Cabin at Bright Angel Lodge I had the first night had far more character. 

The view was also spectacular, especially when compared to the parking lot behind El Tovar.  Just a few feet from my front door was a bench where I could watch the sunrise.

This year I also spent some time talking about Fred Harvey postcards with Tom Ratz, a fellow collector who has worked at the El Tovar for almost thirty years.  He’s about to have a book of canyon views, both photographs and postcards, published by Arcadia.  Meanwhile, unwilling to settle for black and white, I’m still trying to find a publisher of my canyon history illustrated with 300 color postcards.   Oh well.

Anyway, if you ever have a chance to dine at El Tovar and want an expert to point out changes from the following view and today, be sure to ask for Tom.

Most of the material dated from after the purchase of Fred Harvey by Amfac in 1968, a period I have not paid much attention to since most of the Fred Harvey postcard views in my manuscript The Grand Canyon: A Fred Harvey Postcard History pre-date World War II.  Some of the most relevant materials were letters from a blacksmith hired to recreate the bear trap for Hermit’s Rest, along with numerous other items.

That means the bear trap in the picture below is not the one on the postcard.  No real surprise given the span of 80 years, but it’s nice to have proof of one’s suspicions.