El Ascensor, Valparaiso (Elevator, Valparaiso)

This print, one of the many depicting ascensores (elevators or funiculars), was Hermosilla’s
homage to a unique approach to public transportation in his birthplace. In 1966, the World
Monuments Fund declared Valparaíso’s system of ascensores one of the world’s 100 most
endangered historical treasures, and in 2003, UNESCO declared Valparaíso a World Heritage site. One of the prime advocates for this declaration was former Milwaukeean Todd Temkin,founder of Fundacíon Valparaíso, and also a poet, columnist, and resident of the city. This print was exhibited in "Carlos Hermosilla Álverez and Colin Matthes: Echoing Concerns" (2017). Curated by Shana McCaw, Senior Curator.

Photography by Ari David Rosenthal.