page_title: Manuel Trujillo Durán
section_title: Photography
hierarchical_section_title: Manuel Trujillo Durán / Photography
caption_attribution_description: English: A portrait and advertisement for Trujillo's photography services; this photograph was displayed in the Baralt Theatre and around Plaza Baralt in Maracaibo in the 1890s and early 20th century. It was re-released from preserved archives, which were protected by Trujillo's family, in 2013.
context_page_description: Manuel Trujillo Durán was a Venezuelan photographer who pioneered film in Venezuela. Trujillo was most successful as a photographer, though he dabbled in other industries and is best remembered for his connections to the fledgling film industry in Venezuela. He became one of the first people from Latin America to learn how to show films; he was thought for many years to be the director of Venezuela's first films, and traveled through Venezuela and Colombia with projectors to introduce cinema to this part of the South American continent.
context_section_description: In 1896, Trujillo founded his "El rayo de luz" (English: "The ray of light") photography studio at 6 Venezuela Street, in front of the Baralt Theatre. It was here where, starting in 1897, he would produce and develop images for his magazine of the same name. He likely built the studio himself, as he was eager and attentive to carpentry. He also founded the Gutenberg newspaper. Several of his photographs were used in other publications, including national newspapers. He then founded the Trujillo y Arraga photographic hall, with the painter Julio Arraga, as an exhibition centre for "photographic art and artistic creation [to come] together". In the 1897 Commercial Directory of American Republics, his registered profession was photographer.:1366
caption: An advertisement for Trujillo's photography services, including a self-portrait
exif: {}