New Books Network

Vanesa Rodríguez-Galindo, "Madrid on the Move: Feeling Modern and Visually Aware in the Nineteenth Century" (Manchester UP, 2021)

Nov 8, 2025
Vanesa Rodríguez-Galindo, a cultural and visual historian, explores how 19th-century Madrid's modernization influenced its visual culture and identity. She discusses the role of print media in shaping public perception and social dynamics, emphasizing the interaction between middle-class readership and informal image access. The conversation also delves into the impact of French cultural hegemony and Spain's imperial identity, as well as the nostalgic themes in illustrated media. Rodríguez-Galindo's insights resonate with contemporary experiences of urban life and social connection.
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INSIGHT

Modernity Was A Visual, Local Experience

  • Vanesa Rodríguez-Galindo studies how Madrid's 19th-century modernization was shaped by illustrated print culture and mass visual spectatorship.
  • She asks what "being modern" meant then instead of imposing present-day definitions of modernity.
INSIGHT

Planned Projects Met Migrant Growth

  • Madrid experienced both spontaneous migrant-driven growth and planned urban expansions like the Ensanche in the mid-19th century.
  • Engineering projects such as Canal de Isabel Segunda reshaped infrastructure and social geography of the city.
INSIGHT

Images Became Mass Communication

  • Technological advances let images and text appear together, creating an early illustrated mass press that transformed public visual culture.
  • Images gained legal and communicative weight and became regulated as vehicles of information.
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