[Academy of Arts, Havana, Cuba]

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Few institutions in Havana mattered more to the island's artists than the academy named in this print, whose lineage traces back to the San Alejandro academy founded in 1818. By about 1918, when this photomechanical reproduction was made, Cuba had been an independent republic for roughly sixteen years, and its capital was investing in institutions that signaled a growing national culture. Halftone views like this one, registered for copyright in the United States, circulated widely as glimpses of the city's civic life. The record offers little beyond the title and date, so the picture is best read as evidence of how Havana presented its art education to outside audiences.

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