Museo Moderno
Di Sandro Juan
La Garita, c.1936, Ggelatin silver on paper, Vintage print, 27.2 x 37.6 cm, Colección MoMA.

(Italy, 1898 – Argentina, 1988)

Di Sandro was born in 1898 in Colli Volturno, Italy, and he emigrated with his family to Argentina in 1910. In 1914, he began working at the well-known newspaper La Nación as an assistant to Nazareno Palestrini, who was then head of photography and who became Di Sandro’s first teacher. He worked there until 1976. He was a witness of his time. He captured with his camera memorable events such as the Graf Zeppelin overflying Buenos Aires, the inauguration of 9 de Julio Avenue or the fire at El Coloso store.
He always chose big format equipment although it was heavy for the swiftness his profession demanded, but it offered high definition and better technical qualities. He used to carry a small ladder to take his shots from high points of view, which became a distinctive characteristic in his work. He participated frequently in photoclubs, as well as in awards and salons in which he obtained lots of prizes. Since 1952, he was a member of La Carpeta de los Diez, which
was a group of photographers responsible for the modernization of photographic languages in Argentina.
Di Sandro died in 1988 in Buenos Aires. He is considered today one of the most important pioneers in photojournalism in Argentina.