Alexander Witcomb

Alexander Witcomb
Alexander Witcomb at his studio, c. 1890s.
Born	1835 London, England
Died	1905 (aged 69–70) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nationality	British
Occupation	Photographer

Alexander S. Witcomb (also known as Alejandro S. Witcomb in Argentina; London, 1835 – Buenos Aires, 1905) was a British photographer whose work is considered historical heritage of Argentina. where he established the first photography studio.

The Witcomb collection has about 500,000 negatives, although people from his era stated that the General Archive of the Nation could have received about 700,000 negatives at that time to become part of the Archive collection.

Witcomb studied photography in France, then moved to Rio de Janeiro where he worked as a trader for some time. In 1872, he again moved to Montevideo, where he worked in a bank and then as a photographer in the city of Mercedes. Witcomb moved again to Rosario, Argentina, where he worked with Christiano Junior, from whom he later acquired his stuido and negatives. The partnership lasted until Witcomb travelled to Buenos Aires.

Witcomb not only took pictures at his studio but in the streets, where he photographed the social life of Argentina. Because of his influences, Witcomb made several portraits of diverse presidents of Argentina, as well as the high class of Buenos Aires in his social meetings.

In 1880, Witcomb established his own studio, located on Florida street n° 364, which later became the most traditional photograph studio in Argentina. Starting as a photography studio, it then expanded its activities to an art gallery where new artists had the opportunity to show their work. Following Witcomb's death in 1905, his son took his place continued with the exhibitions and work until his dead in 1945. The company continued working, being managed by Witcomb's partners until 1970, when the material became part of the General Archive of the Nation as an evidence of the history of Argentina registered on photographs.

The collection is made up by photographic plates that belonged to Wicbomb gallery, but it is believed that some pictures could have been also taken by Christiano Junior when he and Witcomb were partners.

Witcomb witnessed and photographed the life of Buenos Aires in many aspects: streets, notable persons, transport, celebrations, social and historic facts.