Chambi, Martín

Martín Chambi was born on November 5th, 1891 in Coaza, Peru. When very young he travelled to Arequipa, where he studied at the Portal de Flores workshops of the Plaza de Armas, under the direction of their master, Max T. Vargas. He later set up in the city of Sicuani, where he opened his first studio and photography workshop. In 1920 he moved to Cuzco where he was to develop the main body of his work, and where he was to live until his death in 1973. He preserved some 30,000 negatives in his archives.