The Alicante Municipal Archive has opened a commemorative exhibition marking the 120th anniversary of the Alicante Province Journalists Association APPA. The display features 16 black and white photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, capturing notable events and moments that shaped the city’s news of that era.
Among the captured moments are the 1915 fire at the Port of Alicante, the 1943 explosion in the armory on Altamira Street that left 17 people dead and many injured, the 1940s demolition of the Caturla House, the heavy snows of autumn 1956, and the 1925 Carbonell House aviation accident alongside a railway incident in 1912. The photographs, all drawn from the Municipal Archive, reflect the rich record kept by city journalists and their legacy. They include material from the Fernandez Gil Sánchez collection and the Francisco Ramón Martín estate, which together account for a significant portion of the images on display, illustrating how local reporting helped document daily life and extraordinary events in Alicante.
The exhibit is installed both in showcases and in the central hall of the archive and will be open to the public through March. Midway through the showing, the arrangement will rotate: exterior shots will be moved inside and interior scenes will move outside, allowing visitors to see the city’s past from multiple vantage points. In addition to the photographs, old newspaper copies and various documents related to journalistic activity are available for study in the archive research room, inviting visitors to explore the city’s press history more deeply.
APPA president Rosalía Mayor underscored the importance of journalistic heritage for citizens and emphasized the responsibility carried by reporters as witnesses to local reality. Mayor Mayor expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Culture and to the municipal archives team who contributed to organizing this exhibition, described as the inaugural act of the 120th anniversary celebrations. She noted that the display of Alicante’s past photographs highlights the work of journalists and photojournalists who bring these striking images to today’s audiences, allowing residents to connect with the city’s history through visual storytelling.