A photographer in the Mexican Revolution: Mauricio Yáñez and the battles for Culiacán, 1911–1912

Abstract

This article presents previously unpublished details about the life and work of the Jalisco photographer Mauricio Yáñez, who owned photo galleries in Culiacán and Mazatlán between 1908 and 1914. Our analysis focuses on his production of postcards at the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution and coverage of the battles for Culiacán between 1911 and 1912, when Maderista (1911) and Zapatista (1912) forces confronted federal troops defending the city. We consider the connections and willingness of the combatants to pose for the photographer and to construct from a symbolic level their own narratives of what happened. By addressing this phase of Mauricio Yáñez’s career and his role as a photographer during the revolution, we contribute to the knowledge of one of most important regional photographers of the period.