Boote, Samuel

The brothers Samuel Boote (1844-1921) and Arturo W. Boote (1861-1936) were the most prolific producers of photographic albums depicting views and customs of Argentina in the 19th century. They were also the ones who covered the most provinces in photographic expeditions undertaken on their own initiative or by commission. As a result, their work reflects better than that of other photographers the profound changes that occurred in the country, with varying degrees of intensity depending on the regions, during the last twenty years of that century. The Bootes, first-generation Argentines, were the children of English immigrants who arrived in the River Plate region in the early 1840s and were part of a large family. They grew up among estates in the southern border of Buenos Aires, Chascomús, and the city of Buenos Aires. Samuel, seventeen years older than Arturo, began taking photographs in the 1870s. He partnered with the Scotsman James Niven, a pioneer in the field, and worked in Buenos Aires as a photographer and importer and trader of photographic materials. In the 1880s, he was one of the country's most important photographers. The younger brother began to distribute his photographic production around 1890 under the name Arthur W. Boote and Co. (the initial letter corresponding to the maternal surname: Woods). The firm sold many photos taken by Samuel, who possibly transferred part of his archive to him. By 1900, both had left photography behind. Samuel focused on operating a ranch in Sierra de la Ventana, while Arturo continued his commercial activities in other fields, ventured into real estate, and served as a leader of charitable institutions within the British community.