In 1919 a German socialist escaped his firing squad fate and eventually fled to Mexico, where he wrote a series of travel books and novelized versions of the Mexican revolution. His series of six novels covered the state of Chiapas and detailed the miserable plight of the Indians enslaved by the logging companies. I chose to rephotograph his travels and revisit the villages mentioned in his books. The photos in this gallery reflect the modern Indians and their Mayan heritage.

I hand-colored the Mayan ruins based on the colors that might have been used 1000 years ago, matched to the traditional palette of Chiapas homes and clothing. The Indians shown here are descendants of his fictional characters in the villages of Chamula, Chiapa de Corso, and Ocosingo. How appropriate that six months later Chiapas erupted again with the New Years Day uprising of 1994. How oblivious I must have been to spend weeks with these Indians and never notice their martial preparations!

If you find these to be interesting, the author's name is B. Traven, well known for the "Treasure of the Sierra Madre." Some of his novels are available only in Spanish or German. His travel guide can be found through Interlibrary loan in North Carolina and his original photo album is still in the National Archives in Mexico City. These photos, plus large collages and work from the rephotography series, constituted my solo show at the Catacombs Gallery in Denver in 1994.