Exhibit: Testimonios de una Guerra Photography of the Mexican Revolution
I’m excited to attend the opening of this new exhibit of Mexican Revolution photographs at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque tonight. The exhibit will run through the end of March. Check it out if you get the chance!
I wanted to add a link to this review of a new book on the history of Mexico’s railroads during the Porfiriato. It adds to our understanding of reach of the modernizing and civilizing impulse during the period of Porfirio Diaz’s rule in Mexico. Also, railroads played a major role in the strategies of Mexican Revolutionaries, particularly in the northern theater.
Matthews, Michael. The Civilizing Machine: A Cultural History of Mexican Railroads, 1876-1910. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2014. 340 pp. Paperback. $40
Michael Matthews examines the cultural representations of railroads in the Mexican press, articulating their significance to popular society and state formation during the Porfiriato. The Civilizing Machine: A Cultural History of Mexican Railroads, 1876-1910 delves into the writings and imagery of newspapers and magazines loyal and opposed to the regime of Porfirio Díaz. Matthews argues that rival political factions often shared much common ground discursively when characterizing railroads and locomotive travel as harbingers of modernity. Few disagreed that the iron horse embodied notions of “order and progress” poised to deliver Mexico to the club of “modern” nations. Notable differences arose, however, in the ways print outlets portrayed the railroad as an aspect of government policy during this period. For example, Díaz’s supporters used public commemorations when opening…
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Well, the class has been rescheduled for the summer term at WNMU, June 2-August 5. I hope that many of you will be interested in enrolling (again). As I’ve been told, the class will be cross listed with Political Science 580. Due to this turn of events, and based on the responses (or lack thereof) that I’ve received, most likely I will not keep the blog going between now and then. Instead, I’ll start it up again in the summer.
I wish you all the best for the spring semester!
Update, January 15, 2014: Unfortunately, due to low enrollment Hist 580 has been cancelled for the spring 2014 semester. It will be offered again during WNMU’s summer term between June 2 and August 5. Since the time frame will be condensed, I may decide to remove a couple of books from the reading list. The bulk of it will remain the same, however. I want to apologize to those of you that were enrolled in the class when it was cancelled. Please let me know if you’ll be interested in re-enrolling in the summer. Also, I’m still willing to maintain this blog as an informal space in which we can explore the history of the Mexican Revolution between now and the summer.
I hate this waiting game. I’ve been told that for now we’ll go ahead with the class, but the deans haven’t made the final decision yet. I apologize to my students because I don’t think that it is fair to leave this up in the air after the first day of class. I do, however, understand the difficulties faced by administrators in making these types of decisions and I appreciate their work. At any rate, I’ll keep you all posted! As I said before, no matter what I’ll keep this blog open to discuss the chosen readings on the Mexican Revolution.
Today is the first day of class for Hist 580, and as of right now, there are only four students enrolled. Since this is my first semester with WNMU, I’m not sure whether or not the class will be cancelled. Either way, I’m planning to use this blog as a space to discuss the several readings that I assigned to the class (included in the last post a few months ago).
So, I’m keeping my fingers crossed because it would be great to have a small class! I’ll keep you all posted.
#CNF #OER and more
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Covering the New Mexico craft beer scene
Research and literature on the Americas
Class blog for Intro to Latin American Studies at CNM in ABQ
History of the Mexican Revolution: Violence, Myth, and Reconstruction 