The extraordinary photographic work of José Bento De San Martín throughout the early years of the 20th century had an obvious artistic profile in its documentary side. Many of his shots are the product of a trained eye attentive to aesthetic pleasure.

As the introductory words to this volume detail: "The De San Martín collection consists of 6,899 glass plates measuring 4.5 cm by 10.7 cm and 42 measuring 10 cm by 15 cm. The shots record images of families, places and public events. Famous personalities such as Umberto, Prince of Savoia, pretender to the throne of Italy, the aviator Jorge Newbery, captured just minutes before his fatal crash at Los Tamarindos in 1914, and the governors of Mendoza, Carlos Washington Lencinas and Rufino Ortega, have been recorded. He also captured several national commemorations, religious events and his travels to various places in Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, England, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Monaco, Morocco, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.
aspirante al trono de Italia, el aviador Jorge Newbery, captado apenas minutos antes de su accidente fatal en Los Tamarindos, en 1914, y los gobernadores de Mendoza Carlos Washington Lencinas y Rufino Ortega. También captó varias conmemoraciones patrias, actos religiosos y sus viajes por diversos lugares de Suiza, Italia, Francia, España,
Inglaterra, Portugal, Austria, Bélgica, Alemania, Países Bajos, Mónaco, Marruecos, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brasil”.

After his death on 25 June 1944, the collection was conserved by his daughter Angèle de San Martín de Correas and then by his granddaughter Maga, before passing into the hands of his other granddaughter, Nora, who, with the collaboration of her assistant Adriana Antidín, carried out the task of conservation.

Nora Correas, in the foreword, says: "When I saw the photos, I realised that my grandfather had photographed a wonderful time, before the two wars. An innate sense