Snapshots from the Past: Mexico City 1973

I was looking at some old photos from my very first trip to Mexico in 1973.  I scanned a few of them to the computer.  I thought that some of you, especially those who know Mexico City well, might enjoy seeing these pictures of the city more than 40 years ago.

I was spending the winter quarter of my junior year of college studying in Mexico.  I had a little Kodak Instamatic Camera, and it was the first time that I had ever taken a lot of photos.

Here's Mexico City's famous boulevard, "Paseo de la Reforma".

Even back then I thought that the traffic was terrible.

But in comparison to what it is like now, I would probably think it quite tranquil.

 

 

 

The Monument to Cuautémoc, the last Aztec emperor, stands at the intersection of the Paseo de la Reforma and Insurgentes Avenue.

Back then, the Continental Hilton was one of the city's finest hotels.

In the catastrophic earthquake of 1985 the hotel collapsed upon itself like an accordion.

 

 

 

In a couple of earlier posts I mentioned "El Caballito" (The Little Horse), the 18th century equestrian statue of King Carlos IV of Spain.

It used to stand at the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma and Juárez Avenue.

There it is with the National Lottery Building (which is still there) in the background.

 

 

 

The Monument to the Revolution is still there, but the area around it has been spiffed up with a large plaza and fountains.

 

 

 

Juárez Avenue

This area was hit hard by the '85 earthquake, and many of these buildings no longer stand.

The building to the left, however, is still there and now houses the downtown branch of Sear's department store.

 

 

 

In those days you could drive up the hill to Chapultepec Castle, the National Museum of History, and there was a parking lot in front of the castle.

 

 

 

The view from Chapultepec Castle

Missing are the new skyscrapers, including the city's three tallest buildings, which now line Paseo de la Reforma.