Photo Research - 1920s New Mexico
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Twin steeples with bell towers
Matilde's mother's and father's wedding portrait which hangs in the living room
Band and wedding guests gather for the march to the wedding couple's new home. This period is not shown however it shows the precedent for the 1920's wedding.
Ribbons, lace & bouquets
Bridal party
Children waiting for the bride and groom
Master of ceremony of the wedding ceremony.
Parade from the church to the newlywed's home.
Musicians leading the bride and groom to their home
Matilde and Severo
Matilde, one of four sisters, lives in an isolated northern New Mexican village established in the "age of the Conquistadors." Generations of brides and grooms married according to long established courtships, ceremonies and music. However with the advent of statehood in 1912 and the end of World War I, cracks are beginning to undermine the established norms.
It was the parents prerogative to arrange for suitable marriage partners for their dutiful daughters. Yet Matilde, only 15, is infatuated with an impetuous young man, not the older, WWI veteran almost twice her age. And she doesn't like his mustache!