All funds of the National Library of Spain are available for this material and remain confidential. The province holds a trove of image riches that reveal what cities like Orihuela, Elche, and Alicante looked like two centuries ago, offering a visual journey through the past.
One of the most celebrated and representative examples comes from the work of photographer Jean Laurent, who lived from 1816 to 1886. The National Library of Spain offers an interactive map that makes it easy to locate images tied to municipalities across the province. The map presents casual and urban scenes from Vega Baja, Baix Vinalopó, Alicante, and Alto Vinalopó, inviting users to travel back in time to the 19th century as they browse these records.
In May 1858 Queen Isabella II opened the first long distance line in Spain, linking Madrid and Alicante. Up to that moment, the collection focused on portraiture; Laurent traveled to Alicante to document the moment as the queen’s photographer. This marked a new phase in which a French photographer began to capture architectural and industrial changes shaping the country in the 19th century, adding a broader historical perspective to the archive.
Among Laurent’s views of the region called Tetterra, notable works include the Portal or facade of the Santa Maria Basilica in Alicante from 1860, and general views of Alicante from Postiguet to Santa Barbara. Elche and Orihuela were also revisited around 1870, with images such as the St John’s Church from the bridge in Elche, the approach to the municipality via the Alicante road, and a view of the Segura river from the east in Orihuela or the facade of Elche Town Hall in the same year.
General views are also available in a handheld collection where one can observe the municipalities of the past. The scene of Sax Castle can be seen from the old Madrid Alicante road through the existing Wine Cooperative in 1858. A portrait of the Citadel from the same year is captured in hand with Saint Anne Parish visible on the right, offering a poignant glimpse into historic street life and civic spaces of the era.
About J Laurent
Laurent was born on July 23, 1816, in the region of Burgundy in France and later settled in Madrid. In 1855 he began to engage seriously with photography, turning attention to panoramic views of cities, landscapes, public works, and monuments across the peninsula. His work also captured notable figures of the time, building a substantial photographic archive that now serves as a rich resource for 19th century Spanish studies. Laurent passed away on November 24, 1886, in Madrid.
BNE subsequently produced an interactive map to reference his work via Google Maps, under the title J. Laurent was here and this is how he saw us, offering researchers and history enthusiasts an accessible path through the century through his lenses.