CHIAPAS (MEXICO) AND CENTRAL AMERICA COLLECTION Bulk 1980s-2000s
Photography and papers by Richard G. Flamer, a Vietnam War veteran, anti-war activist, and Catholic Worker. The images document life of the poor and refuges in Chiapas, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, including Maya Indians, 1980s-2000s. Also documented is the development of a Catholic Worker center and farm in San Cristobal las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
Gift of Richard G. Flamer, 2009-. Processed by Mark G. Thiel, C.A.., 2009-.
Restrictions: There are no restrictions regarding access to this collection. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of these records. Consult an archivist for further information.
Biographical Note
Richard Flamer (1947-) of Long Beach, California, served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and was discharged in 1971. In 1975, following collegiate studies in Vermont, he operated a rare book dealership in Omaha, Nebraska, which continued through the 1980s.
Beginning in the tumultuous years of the 1980s to the 2000s, Flamer served as a professional news service photographer in Chiapas, Mexico, and Central America. With a perspective derived from his Vietnam War experiences, he visually documented the profound affects of war and poverty on the Maya Indians and other local people.
In 2001, he and his wife, Araceli Flamer, established The Chiapas Project, a Catholic Worker center and farm serving the poor in San Cristobal las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, with sponsorship by the Des Moines (Iowa) Catholic Worker Home.
Scope and Content
Series 0, Unprocessed: Comprised of black & white and color photography, related documentation, and other writings.
