Dates
29 July to 28 August 2026
When?
Soon
Link
To know more

On July 29th at 11:00 AM, the opening of this exhibition will take place, a tribute to Matías Barajas Ruano, a professional photographer from the iconic Foto Estudio Mimosa , whose work helped preserve the visual memory of generations of Ávila residents. Admission is free until capacity is reached.

In the 1950s, he founded Foto Estudio Mimosa with his mentor, Antonio García Martín, a branch of their existing studios in Salamanca and Peñaranda de Bracamonte. He specialized in gallery and studio photography, as well as retouching. He actively participated in both the Provincial and National Associations of Professional Photographers, serving as president of both during the 1970s.

From his studio he portrayed daily life, celebrations, and social changes in his environment, creating a valuable historical record.

The generous donation, from 2006 until this same year 2026, of his documentary and bibliographic archive to the Provincial Historical Archive of Avila ensures the presence of thousands of images that today form part of the collective heritage of the people of Ávila.

This exhibition invites us to explore that shared memory and recognize his contribution and dedication to capturing images of Avila and its province, as well as its people.

A significant portion of this exhibition was displayed at the sixth edition of the Castilla y León International Photography Festival 2016 in the city of Palencia, including the hand-colored photograph of the poster. For this reason, and as a tribute to Matías, it is accompanied by other photographs from the archives of Ángel Guerras Garrido, Rufino García Muñoz, and Pedro Canalejo Hernández. Also included are other photographs whose authors are unknown, drawn from other collections such as the Veredas family collection, the Rufino González Díaz family collection, the Julio Jiménez collection, and the Ramón Navas Huete bullfighting collection.

The archive of Foto Estudio Mimosa in Avila comprises approximately 50,000 photographs in various formats and on different supports: celluloid, cardboard, aluminum, paper, and cellulose acetate, including both negatives and positives. It also contains documentation, cameras for different formats, and a wide variety of photographic materials, some used by the studio and others collected by its owners. In addition to the photographs, the studio's logbooks are preserved, which are of significant importance for determining the dates and subjects of the photographs. A smaller but highly significant collection within the photographic archive consists of 65 glass plate negatives with gelatin emulsion. An interesting photography library completes this archival holding.

The collection allows us to reconstruct decades of social, cultural, and familial history through thousands of faces and personal stories. Its preservation in the Provincial Historical Archive ensures that this documentary and graphic heritage remains accessible for research, cultural dissemination, and collective memory.

The Provincial Historical Archive of Avila, in accordance with the functions established by Law 6/1991 on Archives and Documentary Heritage of Castilla y León, among others, carries out the task of disseminating the documentary collections held by public archives. This allows documents to cease being anonymous and makes them accessible to the general public, while simultaneously contributing to their understanding and raising awareness of the value and the need to protect this heritage. Exhibitions are one of the activities that significantly contribute to this dissemination.

This time the project has been affected by the unexpected death of Matías on June 14, also becoming a posthumous tribute.

Address and map location

  • Postal address Archivo Histórico Provincial de Ávila - Pza. Concepción Arenal, s/n. municipality of Ávila . NaN. Ávila