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[instrumental version of the song “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”]

Male narrator In this 1944 photograph, we catch an early glimpse of Eva Peron — also known as Evita. She was in the public eye first as an actress and later as the wife of President Juan Perón.

[music ends]

Her own popularity in Argentina was so great that she was considered for the Presidency, but her life was cut short by cancer at the age of 33.

Here, we see the makings of her myth — beginning with that lustrous hair, tightly held in place. Curator, Idurre Alonso. 

Idurre Alonso You don’t see her with her hair blowing in the wind, and I think the hair is important because it shows that she’s in control. And then, that is mixed together with this coquetry that you see in her face, she’s looking to the sides, she’s not looking straight. And then, her very elegant attire, and you can see in the image, the ring. And all of that, she uses afterwards, when she’s the image of Peronism. 

Male narrator Evita’s persona became one of the most carefully scrutinized and controlled images in Argentine history.

Idurre Alonso The government of Perón had a department that was in charge of controlling all the photographs that were presented by the media. They even controlled the description of those photographs.

Male narrator A photographer once captured Evita letting her hair down. You can see that photograph on display nearby. Life magazine published the image – and was immediately banned in Argentina.

Even death could not undo the image that Evita had constructed. Her myth continued, inspiring the Peronist guerrillas in the 1970s, and today she is still widely revered in Argentina, especially in the countryside.

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The stage musical Evita and the 1996 film version starring Madonna also reflect her iconic status

Idurre Alonso Imagine how powerful this image was, that it traveled all the way to the musical and it’s probably in the minds of the people that are looking at this image now.

[music ends]