Memory and Cultural Identities: The Newspapers and Historical Documents of Southern Patagonia, Part II

In Southern Patagonia local media, especially newspapers, played a fundamental role in the formation of regional identity. In the early twentieth century the growth of cattle ranching in the south of the country fostered the conditions needed for the growth of an extensive publishing industry particularly in newspapers and periodicals. Local elites founded numerous newspaper outlets whose primary purpose was to defend local interests but also with the intent to define regional identity. Many publications were devoted to the struggle between liberal and conservative ideologies, but ultimately the success of these enterprises depended on how well they were able to represent the interests and needs of the local elite. Local newspapers became a central mechanism in the region for imposing social, cultural, ideological and political norms, without regard to the differences and contradictions already present. The publications of this region are important to understanding its history, social change, and the relationship between public and private spaces.

The purpose of this project is to digitize historical documents held at the Archivo Histórico Palmiro Pedemonte in order to provide broad access to this collection while at the same time preserving this historical material.