Sol Miraglia: Struck by the Foto Estudio Luisita's art of glamour

In 2009, Sol Miraglia met Luisa Escarria, the photographer at Foto Estudio Luisita. It was the start of a long friendship as well as a film adventure that would reveal this legendary Buenos Aires studio to the public. In this interview, the director takes us behind the scenes of her superb documentary. 

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Zoé Isle de Beauchaine: How did you discover the work of Luisita and her sister ? 

Sol Miraglia: In 2009, I started giving Photoshop classes in a camera shop on Calle Libertad since I was starting the school of photography. It was your typical carpeted office, located in the epicenter for the sale of photo supplies in Buenos Aires. I was nineteen years old.
We were nearing the end of the year when Elsa, the shop owner, hung up a laminated calendar that read “Stars of Buenos Aires – Foto Estudio Luisita.” Appearing full-length on a background of blue stars were some of the country’s biggest celebrities, like [comedian] Alberto Olmedo and [actresses] Moria Casán and Tita Merello. I was immediately struck by it.
“You have to meet her,” Elsa told me. And as luck would have it, Luisita came to the store only a few days later, looking for buying a flash. With the excuse of having a photojournalism gig, I was invited to her house. I remember how I stopped in my tracks as I entered. Hanging on the living room walls, as if guarding both space and time, was a sea of photos of Argentina’s greatest vedettes. It was like entering a 1970s time capsule. I had a strange feeling that is difficult to describe, but it was the same rush of emotions I felt when I saw the calendar in the store for the first time.
From that time onward, every Friday after work, I would visit their home/studio at the corner of Corrientes and Uruguay and spend time with Luisita and Chela, looking at old photographs, sharing meals and anecdotes, until it got late and they would kick me out! Through a mix of candor, transparency, humility, and tenderness, what was to become one of my life’s most defining friendships began. And it was that friendship that would give me the impetus to create the documentary and still with the Foto Estudio Luisita legacy.

ZB: Could you tell us more about their archives, what do they contain ? 

SM: The Foto Estudio Luisita archive consists of approximately 14 boxes and several folders containing approximately 40,000 images, including 120mm and 35mm negatives, slides, plates, color and black-and-white, contact sheets, and vintage prints. The collection spans from 1930 to 2009.
In those boxes were the entire negatives, most of them retouched in red ink by Chela. They were the exact opposite of what Luisita and Chela had been showing me for years: the final product that the theater industry or the subjects of the portraits had hired them to create - a perfect print on a perfect white background. The whole negative, exactly as it had been shot, had never been printed. And that holds enormous photographic value. Those boxes are the heart of the Luisita Photo Studio archive.
I was fascinated by those boxes with the retouched negatives in envelopes they themselves had made from pages from old calendars, with the photos inside drawers or up on the wall... Each of those envelopes was an inef-fable journey.
Thus, those retouched negatives, prints, and contact sheets that were not discarded ended up scattered in drawers, between packets of saccharine and teaspoons, meticulously organized in shoeboxes stored under their beds, in small boxes decorated with colorful glitter, in labeled envelopes, and in overflowing albums.

ZB: Throughout the many years you worked on these archives, did you make any unexpected discovery ? 

SM: I had the wonderful opportunity to start working on the archive while the girls were still alive. It’s such a unique experience because, over time, everything gets reinterpreted. Seeing an envelope or a box 10 years ago is not the same as seeing it now. Every time I revisit it, I gain a deeper awareness of the materiality of the images, especially in this highly digital moment. Lately, I’ve been fascinated by the materiality of the 1990s and the mini labs, which I find absolutely captivating.
What I love most about the archive is the series of portraits of their pets: dogs, birds, owls, and an incredible series of flowers. I hope that, soon, I’ll be able to exhibit or publish these works because they are truly special.
This archive is not just a collection of photographs; it’s also a development of life. Through it, I’ve made incredible friends. Each envelope led me to a unique story that will never exist again. I even had the opportunity to spend time with some very elderly divas, going out with them and listening to their stories. These experiences, like the archive itself, are true treasures.

ZB: When you stepped into the studio, you not only discovered a photographic treasure, you also met the beauty of sisterhood. Could you tell us more about their relationship and how they worked together to make the studio run ? 

SM: While there were many studios at the time, few were run by women or had female lab technicians. In the case of Luisa, Chela, and their mother, Eva - immigrant women of African descent from Colombia - not only was it a fully female-run studio, but it was also a deeply matriarchal space. The women spent most of their time at home, working long hours.
The roles of Luisita and Chela were very different but perfectly complementary. Luisita was the one who took the photos and connected directly with the people being portrayed. She had a unique ability to create a warm and homely atmosphere, which was crucial for the women from the theater who often came to have their photos taken, sometimes almost nude. Luisita made these individuals feel comfortable by talking to them and asking them to think about pleasant things. Thanks to this, she captured the best shots.
On the other hand, Chela worked behind the scenes, moving between the lighting setups and the laboratory. She was a true master in the art of retouching. She meticulously worked on the negatives, removing wrinkles, softening curves, eliminating objects, and composing impossible scenes. In the lab, Chela mastered techniques she had learned in various contexts.
Luisita and Chela were professional photographers - a true team that worked together. They were not interested in the idea of the individual author, so contemporary and individualistic. Each had a defined role, but both contributed to the final result, achieving work that reflected their collaboration and mutual understanding.

ZB: They both mention the difficulty of being a woman photographer in this environment. What is the place of female photographers today in Argentina compared to then ? 

SM: In the last decade, during the period when the exhibitions and the film were produced, it was a great challenge - difficult yet interesting. It was a time marked by the revaluation of photography from a contemporary and gendered perspective. During this period, Foto Estudio Luisita demonstrated that women photographers could pave new paths by exploring the relationship between the domestic, the popular, and the glamour of Argentine entertainment.
Today, the panorama of photography in Argentina has changed in certain ways. For example, the majority of students in this field are women, reflecting the predominance of female participation. However, this increased presence does not always translate into equality in the professional realm. A recent example is a national photography award that was given exclusively to men, highlighting the persistent inequalities in recognizing women’s work. Moreover, the market value of works created by women remains lower, although this issue is rarely talked about.
The current political context represents a significant setback in the progress made regarding gender equality and cultural opportunities. Under an anarcho-capitalist government, the fight for visibility and recognition of women faces new challenges.
Despite these obstacles, it is crucial to continue working to consolidate the progress achieved and to avoid further setbacks. This requires policies and support that promote equality and the dissemination of women’s work. However, in Argentina, we are still far from achieving this. Participating in fairs or sending our publications is becoming increasingly difficult. The promotion of our work is particularly challenging in a context where there is no support, and the geographical distance only makes it harder.

Interview conducted in December 2024
The photos are taken from the film Foto Estudio Luisita
directed in 2018 by Sol Miraglia