Canciones: The Photographs

In October 2012, I found the first two photographs below in the archives of the Fundación Federico García Lorca in Madrid. The photos had been part of the Fundación's collection for decades, but they were previously thought to be of Federico García Lorca and Ángel del Río at del Río's cabin in the Catskills. However, they actually show Lorca and Philip Cummings on the porch of the lakeside cottage Cummings rented in Eden Mills, Vermont, in August 1929.

Although the photos were not sharp to begin with and have deteriorated over time, they still provide unique and fascinating evidence of the collaborative translation process Cummings described to Daniel Eisenberg in 1974, and to Kessel Schwartz and Mildred Adams in prior years.

In the photos, Lorca and Cummings are seated in the southeast corner of the front porch of the Lake Eden cottage. We cannot know for sure that the photos were unposed, but a comparison of the two shots suggests this is the case.

The first shot was taken from the far north end of the porch. Lorca is facing toward the unknown photographer while Cummings is in profile. Both are looking down at Cumming's hands as he types on the keyboard of the typewriter balanced on the railing. A canvas swing hangs from the porch ceiling behind them.

Colleción Fundación Federico García Lorca, Madrid.

For the second shot, the photographer moved closer, apparently startling the two. Lorca has raised his head and subtly squared his shoulders, while Cummings has turned to look directly at the camera. In spite of the underexposure, some features of Cummings's face are faintly visible.

Colleción Fundación Federico García Lorca, Madrid.

Later Photos

The first photo below was taken in 1972, 43 years after Lorca and Cummings stayed at Lake Eden. It shows the same southeast corner of the porch, with a canvas swing still hanging from the ceiling.


Lake Eden porch southeast corner, November 1972, courtesy William Sackett.

The final photo in this series shows the southeast corner of the porch in July 2012. The swing is gone and the owners have cleared away the trees that blocked their view of the lake, but otherwise things are much the same.

Lake Eden porch southeast corner, July 2012, Patricia A. Billingsley.