A PHILIPPINE ARCADIA (1935-1955)

Eduardo Masferré (Philippines, 1909-1955) is regarded as the patriarch of Filipino photography. From 1934 he devoted himself to the documentation of the Igorots, mountain tribes with a reputation as merciless headhunters. Masferré wanted to record their lives before they were overtaken by modern times. After the Second World War he opened a photo studio. He supported his rapidly growing family with agricultural activities, which brought him still closer to the lives of the Igorots. Masferré intended to present a complete portrait. A PHILIPPINE ARCADIA (1935-1955) shows not only the proud faces of the Igorots, but also their manner of life, their work and their rice fields, which were built against the mountain slopes in striking terraces. The importance of his work was recognized only outside The Philippines. The Filipinos initially had little use for photographs that showed them primarily as a primitive people. Only in the 1980s, with the rise of a national consciousness, did Masferré’s work find acceptance in his own country.