Obando, Jorge

Jorge Obando, renowned for the quality of his panoramic photography and his skill in handling the Cirkut Eastman Kodak camera, photographed most of the important events in Medellín in the early and mid-20th century. After opening his own studio, Foto Obando, in 1923, he gained such a reputation that he was constantly asked to document significant political and social events. In addition to political demonstrations, Obando photographed funerals, the construction of streets and monuments, the arrival of the first airplane, Medellín's racetrack, the new fleet of taxis, and the police and fire brigades. Among his most famous photos is the first airplane crash in Colombia in 1935, in which the famous tango singer Carlos Gardel died. Jorge Obando also worked as a photojournalist for newspapers in Medellín and Bogotá. His grandson, Oscar Jaime Obando, maintains his archive.