Evita: An Intimate Portrait of Eva Peron by Juan Pablo Queiroz
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Book Reviews of Evita: An Intimate Portrait of Eva Peron
Book Review: The best photographic biography about Evita
Summary: 5 Stars
EVITA: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF EVA PERON is the best photographic record available of Eva Peron, First Lady of Argentina from 1946 to 1952. ("Evita," meaning "Little Eva," was her nickname.) Evita lived in a time before television was widely used, and since she was a politician she did not have many spreads in glossy magazines (once she became First Lady, her "cheesecake" portraits - taken while she was an actress - were supressed). Therefore, most of her pictures were used in newspapers, giving them a grainy feel. Often, the quality of pictures you find of Evita seem to be much poorer quality than what you would expect from something taken merely 50 years ago. EVITA: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF EVA PERON is an exception, perhaps the best exception I have ever found. Most of these pictures are clear and crisp, though they are all black-and-white.
One thing this collection of pictures reveals is that Evita truly was not what would be considered a conventionally beautiful woman. She was certainly beautiful in her publicity photos and propaganda portraits (some of which are reproduced here). But in a day-to-day setting - such as the enclosed pictures that depict her having lunch, leaning against her dresser, yelling at a policeman for obstructing a youth's access to her - she was a somewhat awkward, even at times homely, woman. But she was a master of image. As Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarro point out in EVITA: THE REAL LIFE OF EVA PERON, she had an astonishing instinct, almost a sixth sense, for knowing how image affected people. This talent of hers is demonstrated when one constrasts the behind-the-scenes pictures of her as an awkward woman, with those gorgeous photos of Peronist propaganda. She wasn't a conventionally beautiful woman, but she knew how to make it seem as though she were.
The portions of EVITA: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF EVA PERON that I found most interesting, and most haunting, were of Eva as a young girl in her hometown of Junin, and the pictures taken of her shortly before her death. There is one particularly chilling scene of Evita, reduced to a mere 77 pounds by the cancer that had invaded her body, standing on the balcony of the government house to greet the tens of thousands gathered below. She spoke, yelled, actually, about taking justice into her own hands, warning her political enemies of the day that she would "go forth with the poor of the country and leave no brick standing that is not standing for Peron!" The rise from poverty, the contrasts, the extremes ... it's all palpable in these pictures.
This woman was a genius.
Book Review: Eva Peron, Argentina's Golden Goddess
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a fabulous book which follows the life of Eva Peron through photographs. Francisco M. Rocha tells his account of Eva's life in about seven pages, so there is not a lot of reading to be done. Instead you get hundreds of beautiful pictures ... if a picture is worth a thousand words, this book speaks volumes. There are lots of never before seen photo's from Eva's early life, many studio portraits from her acting days, as well as one of the few surviving official portraits of the Perons. To me the most touching photos are those from the days following her death. It was a fitting tribute to Evita, the thousands of Argentines standing in line for hours and sometimes days just to catch one last glimpse of her beautiful face. As well as the millions of flowers filling the streets of Buenos Aires. You can almost feel the grief that filled the air through those tragic days.There are also many photos of Eva's decline ... that proud, elegant creature shrunken down to a fragile waif and of her triumphant tour through Europe. The Peron's lavish life-stlye is also on display here ... the legendary Dior gowns, the millions of dollars worth of jewelry and the palatial Presidential Palace (destroyed in the revoltion of 1955) where Evita kept a storeroom for clothing, food and also offered as a shelter to the homeless.
Evita's life was distinctly cut up into sections, her poor childhood, her acting days, the glorious days as First lady, and her death. The are all documented her beautifully in the lavish photos and detailed captions.
Eva Peron is perhaps one of history's greatest mysteries. Many have called her a whore and a thief. Still there are countless others who attest to her sainthood. The truth is no one really knows what Evita was hiding behind those piercing eyes and no one ever will. What we do know is that in her short life, she accomplished amazing feats. For a poor illegitimate girl from the pampas to reinvent herself as an actress is extraordinary. For an actress no one took seriously to become the First Lady of Argentina and to win over the hearts of millions really is mind blowing. Evita was only 33 years old when she died, who knows what else she could have accomplished?
Book Review: GREAT BOOK
Summary: 5 Stars
Several books on Evita have appeared over the last five years, but this one is perhaps the most impressive so far. Although the book's introduction, does not shed any new light on Eva Peron's character or actions, it commendably emphasizes the different interpretations- academic, journalistic, and political- of the image of one of the most charismatic women leaders of the twentieth century. After the " Madonnification " of Evita, the photographs in this book are a real pleasure. The diverse images of Evita that have accumulated over the last decades have left us with little notion of who Evita " really " was, and this book's great achievement is that it conveys the illusion of providing a direct and candid approach to her as person, though an impressive array of high-quality photographic prints. Many of the photos that appear here have never been published before, and the editors deserve credit for their admirable diligence in tracking down photographs in archives and private collections in different countries. The book includes images by Alfred Eisenstadt, Giselle Freund and Cornell Capa, reproductions of magazine covers from the 1930s and 1940s, commemorative stamps, as well as pictures of Evita's extraordinary Dior gowns, and newly-revealed family photos portray Evita's childhood in the province of Buenos Aires. They show her as a skinny little girl playing in the streets of Los Toldos, graduating from elementary school, imitating movie stars, and strolling with her sisters and a couple of friends on a Sunday afternoon. Not only does this wealth of pictures add to the general outline of the private and public lives of the second most important figure in Peron's Argentina, but it also provides great insight into the painstaking process of building the visual image first of a movie and radio star, and later of the political figure that she became, faithfully recording the changes in hairstyle and dress that Evita adopted at various stages of her short life, and for the benefit of different audiences.Book Review: A compelling visual history of a fascinating woman
Summary: 5 Stars
"Evita: An Intimate Portrait of Eva Peron," edited by Tomas de Elia and Juan Pablo Quieroz, brings together a wealth of black-and-white photographs of Eva Peron, the legendary first lady of Argentina. The editors note in their preface that with the 1955 overthrow of Eva's husband, President Juan Peron, much visual material related to this controversial woman was destroyed. Thus, this book has significant historical and sociological value.We see the full span of the woman's extraordinary life: Eva as a child, aspiring actress, wife, and triumphant first lady. There are "glamour shot" portraits, candid photos, magazine covers, stills from film productions, and more. We see Eva and her husband, as well as her interaction with adoring crowds.
Eva is a consistently fascinating subject: whether fiery, starry-eyed, thoughtful, amused, determined, or serene, you can see why she continues to captivate so many imaginations.
The text portions of the book are very positive towards Eva. If you have been intrigued by the Broadway musical and motion picture about her life, or by other media about her, I definitely recommend this book.
Book Review: UNFORGETTABLE! IRRESISTABLE! A visual feast!
Summary: 5 Stars
Eva Peron was at a time, one of the most photographed woman in the world (to date, she remains the only Latin American First Lady to appear on the cover of TIME magazine). Looking at this book, it's not hard to see why. A strikingly attractive and elegant woman- she possessed a rare, fragile beauty that is clearly evident in these glossy black and white photographs. Those looking for an in depth biography of this influential woman may be disapointed in the lack of information (the book does include a brief biography and each photograph contain notes and factual information pertaining to that particular photo) but considering the numerous in depth biographies out there, a book like this is a refreshing change. Respectful, accurate and a visual delight, this book is sure to please her legion of admirers- old and new. Highly recommended.