Graphic and Photographic Documentation - Reed College

A Morel et Ce, 1862-1863 (first Spanish edition, Ciudadas y ruinas americanas, 1866; an
edition was published by the Bibliothéque Nationale de France, Paris, in 1982).
All of Charnay’s photographs of Uxmal in the lavish vol. 1 of this publication and the
illustration to Viollet-le-Duc’s article in vol. 2 are reproduced on this web site.
There are no photographs of Kabah, Sayil, or Labná in this publication.
http://academic.reed.edu/uxmal/galleries/thumbnails/drawings/Drawings-Charnay.htm
This 2-volume publication was made up of 1 large, lavish volume of 49 plates (47
original photographic prints and 2 photo-lithographs), published 1862 (a few of
Charnay’s photographs published in 1862 had been published 2 years earlier) and 1
much smaller volume of text, published 1863.
Charnay’s photographs were the first ever made of Maya ruins, overcoming not only
the difficulties of a challenging, foreign environment, but also the demanding logistics
of mid-19 th century photography. He used a large camera, large glass plates which
had to be prepared just before each exposure and developed on site, printed later on
albumen-silver paper. Moreover, he worked systematically, documenting not only
details but also the grandeur of the cities he recorded. The photographs in Cités et
ruines américaines were taken during two seasons of fieldwork in 1859 and 1860.
The much smaller text volume contained an account by Charnay of his travels: “Le
Mexique: 1858-1861: Souvenirs et Impressions de Voyage”, In his preface, Charnay
points out the immensity of his subject, the inadequacy of previous publications, and
the necessary shortcomings of his own. On the contentious subject of foreign origins
of Maya architecture, he notes similarities to the art and architecture of other cultures,
but states that any conclusions are now hypothetical. Nevertheless, he introduces
Viollet-le-Duc as (in translation) “a synthetic talent that can reconstruct the past on the
ruins if the present” (p. vi). The text volume includes also a revealing essay by Violletle-Duc
(pp. 3-80), based on photographs, drawings, and notes provided by Charnay.
Viollet-le-Duc’s essay, “Antiquités Américaines”, is separately listed and annotated in
this web bibliography.
Charnay’s 19 chapters include one on the Yucatan and one on Uxmal, including 19
short pages on the ruins of Uxmal (pp. 362-380). This includes details of his set-up for
photography at Uxmal, roles of his Maya assistants, and practical difficulties in dealing
with sleeping, along with brief, straightforward descriptions of the ruins.
Charnay, Claude Joseph Désiré
Ciudades y ruinas americanas. Translated from the French, Cités et ruines américaines, by
Rocio Alonzo. Prologue Lorenzo Ochoa, 1993. México, F.D.: Consejo Nacional Para la
Cultura y las Artes, 1994.
In his prologue, Ochoa calls attention to the lack of recognition that Charnay’s
publications received in many 20 th century academic studies of the ancient Maya,
because Charnay’s writing was not sufficiently scientific. However, Ochoa points out
that Charnay’s accounts are valuable descriptions of the life of the Maya people and
their environments during the 19 th century. In his chapter on Uxmal, in addition to his
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