Description
TARRAGONA 1950-2000
Book Summary
This work is a visual and documentary journey through five decades of Tarragona's transformation, from the stillness of the fifties to the threshold of the 21st century. Through a carefully curated selection of images, authors Jordi Piqué Padró and M. Elena Virgili Bertran reconstruct the city's collective memory, showcasing the urban, social, and cultural changes that have defined its modern character. An essential graphic testimony to understanding the evolution of an ancient city.
What is it about?
The book proposes a chronological journey through the recent history of Tarragona, using photography as a common thread. It begins in the 1950s, a period of stagnation and the postwar era, and advances toward the meteoric transformations the city experienced starting in the mid-sixties. The visual narrative culminates with the most recent memories of a city peering into the new millennium, reflecting both the successes and failures of its development. The images capture the collective footprint of several generations, offering a unique perspective on the daily life, architecture, and urban landscape of Tarragona.
Main themes
- Urban and architectural evolution of Tarragona in the second half of the 20th century.
- Collective memory and social history of the city through photography.
- Cultural and demographic transformations from the postwar period to modernity.
- Graphic documentation of local heritage and its change over time.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at historians, photographers, lovers of local culture, and anyone interested in the evolution of Mediterranean cities. It is especially relevant for Tarragona residents who wish to rediscover their recent past, as well as for researchers and the curious seeking a rigorous visual source on the transformation of Tarragona. It will also be of great interest to collectors of documentary photography and urban planning scholars.
What this book offers
- A unique visual testimony that documents five decades of change in Tarragona.
- A critical and honest perspective on urban development and its consequences.
- The opportunity to connect with the collective memory of several generations of Tarragona residents.
- Valuable reference material for understanding the city's current identity.
Technical specifications
- Author: Jordi Piqué Padró, M. Elena Virgili Bertran
- Publisher: Cosset·nia
- Language: Catalan
- Topic: Photography and photographers, History
- Collection: Fora de col·lecció
- Binding: Hardcover
- Publication date: April 2003
- Number of pages: 432
- Weight: 2302 g
Editorial Review
This is a reference work for the knowledge of contemporary Tarragona, combining documentary rigor with an attractive visual approach. The photographic selection and the accompanying narrative allow the reader to understand the dynamics of change in a city with more than two thousand years of history. It is, without a doubt, a book that will interest both specialists and anyone linked emotionally or academically to Tarragona, offering a complete and nuanced look at its recent evolution.