She Saw. We Remember. Digitizing the Ruth Matilda Anderson Negatives

Ruth Matilda Anderson (1893-1938) was a pioneering photographer and a foundational figure for the Hispanic Society. As the Curator of Photography, she was commissioned by Hispanic Society founder Archer Huntington to travel to Spain to document regional culture, notably in Galicia. The tens of thousands of negatives she produced form an invaluable record of rural life and local tradition in a rapidly changing Spain. With the generous support of the Leon Levy Foundation, we have been working to digitize the Hispanic Society’s collection of negatives by this groundbreaking artist and scholar. Go behind the scenes with our digitization team for an up close look at the meticulous process behind preserving these valuable works and making them available to the public. Video by @AlfonsoLozanofilms