Images of Güines

The Parish Church tower's dome on which, when it was not still lined with white, blue or black tiles, a thick vegetation grew, a small tree getting so big, that it was seriously threatening to destroy the stucco of the mentioned dome, reason why the same was elegantly covered with tiles at the same time beautifying it and preventing the growth of new vegetation…

El Encanto (i.e. The Charm) tailor and clothing store of Sergio Álvarez Fabián, where the “King of the Scissors,” Pedrito the tailor reigned. Later, the Sergio Álvarez Bank was established in this location, administered by Pedro (aka.  Perucho) Álvarez Mena, Don Sergio’s son…

The “Reo” automobile driven by Güinero doctor Romo de Oca to visit his patients. Instead of a steering wheel, this automobile was driven by means of a lever and, under it and using another small lever, you would increase or decrease speed, being its maximum at “9 points,” (around ten or twelve miles per hour)…

The steam fire pump “Raimundo Cabrera” and its famous horse “Cuba,” used by the worthy Commerce Fire Department of Güines, to extinguish fires…

Nombre de Dios (i.e. God’s Name) sugar mill, which was located in the highway that from Güines goes to Melena del Sur, which was a real godsend for the area’s small sugar cane plantation owners…

The refreshment factory of Don Manuel Brage, located on Gras (aka.  Cuatro Palmas or Four Palms) and Armenteros Streets, which started making “Chi-Chi-Pó” refreshments, in bottles whose tops consisted in something similar to a small glass bolt surrounded by a strong rubber gasket which automatically closed when it received the fizzy liquid and to open the bottle you had to give a strong hit with your hand to a projection of that bolt that would sink in the same, allowing the liquid to flow…

The groceries and fine liquors warehouse El Bien Público (i.e. The Public Good) of brothers Francisco (aka.  Pancho) and Amadeo Estrada. During the harvesting of the tomato crops, they canned and exported that fruit to these northern lands. This warehouse was later on converted into Estrada Supermarket operated by Amadeo Pardo Estrada and by brothers José (aka.  Pepito), Miguel and Raúl Estrada…

The groceries warehouse that belonged to the father of Eugenio, Elpidio, Noé and Esteban Alvarado and that was located in the corner of Valdés and San Julián Streets, where, later on, Eugenio, Noé and Esteban established their business in the same area across the street…

The noisy premiere in Güines of the Cuban film La hija del policía (i.e. The Police’s Daughter) or El poder de los ñáñigos (i.e. The Power of the Witch Doctors), interpreted by Sergio Acebal (the Blackman), Pepe del Campo (the Galician) and María Luisa Santos, which took place at Maxim cinema which was located on Máximo Gómez Street across from La Marina (i.e. The Navy) hardware store. That cinema’s building was destroyed by fire…

La Salle school, which was located in the same building occupied later on by the Primary Superior School, next to Don Santiago Soto Entrialgo’s home…