En Aquellos Tiempos…Fotohistorias del Westside is an ongoing celebration of the traditions and strength of the gente del Westside of San Antonio, Tejas. Through community platicas in which elders share photos and stories about the Westside, musica, comida, and an outdoor historic photo installation, this project honors and reclaims the history and culture of the Westside.

On the first Saturday of each month, elders and other community members gather at the Westside Casa de Cuentos, a house that serves as a living history space for this project. There, usually over coffee and pan dulce, participants hold open discussions about the Westside, ranging in topic from cultural traditions to community history to the racism and other challenges that the Westside has faced. Participants are also invited to bring photos of the Westside, dating mostly from the early 1900s through the 1950s, which are then scanned and saved in a digital archive. All the details about each photo are also collected--who is pictured, where and when it was taken, etc.

In October of 2006, approximately fifty of the photos collected were selected to be printed and displayed. The photos were printed on wall-size banners and hung on walls, buildings, and fences throughout the near Westside. Along with the banners, caption signs with descriptions of each photo were posted. A map showing where the banners are hung and listing details about each photo is available here. Click here to see photos of the installation.

Plans are in progress for printing and hanging a new set of photo banners in 2008. If you have photos or stories to share, join us on the first Saturday of every month at 10:00am at the Casa de Cuentos (816 S. Colorado--click here for directions). Or, you can call the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center at 210.228.0201.