Fototeca Nacional SINAFO INAH

History and Founding

The Fototeca Nacional was established in 1976 following the federal government's acquisition of the Archivo Casasola, one of Mexico's most emblematic photographic collections. The Casasola archive—comprising 325,290 glass negatives and photographs documenting the Mexican Revolution and early-twentieth-century life—was transferred in a convoy of armoured vehicles from Mexico City to purpose-prepared facilities at the Ex-Convento de San Francisco in Pachuca, Hidalgo, on 15 November 1976. Over subsequent decades the archive changed names from Archivo Histórico Fotográfico to Fototeca del INAH, and received its current name, Fototeca Nacional, at the start of the twenty-first century. In 1993, the Sistema Nacional de Fototecas (SINAFO) was created to coordinate and standardise photographic preservation activities across all archives and photo libraries within the INAH system.

Collections and Holdings

The Fototeca Nacional holds more than one million cultural assets documenting over 180 years of photography in Mexico. The collection is organised into 48 or more collections spanning from 1847 to the present. Holdings are grouped by institutional origin, named photographer collections (including Tina Modotti, Nacho López, Guillermo Kahlo, and Hugo Brehme), and compiler-assembled archives. The foundational Casasola Archive remains one of the most significant collections. Digitisation of the holdings began in 1993, and materials are searchable online via the INAH Mediateca (mediateca.inah.gob.mx).

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The Fototeca Nacional holds major collections of press photography, including images from the Mexican Revolution and key social and political events of the twentieth century. Photographers such as Agustín Víctor Casasola and his associates provided visual documentation for newspapers and wire services of the era. The archive also holds iconographic materials related to Mexican public figures and political events widely reproduced in print media.

Access and Usage

Researchers may conduct in-person consultations by prior appointment on Thursdays, 9:00 am–3:00 pm, at the Fototeca Nacional's facilities at Casasola s/n, altos, Ex-Convento de San Francisco, Centro, Pachuca, Hidalgo. A public inquiry module with an automated search system is available Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–3:00 pm, also by prior appointment. High-resolution image copies are available for a fee.