Cuba Classics

Blurry action shots of moving cars, scenics that celebrate the island's beauty, close-ups of hood ornamentation, grillwork and dashboards - this array of photographs is complemented by captions to provide anecdotal detail, all to make up an illustration of the wealth of Cuban Automobiles. This homage to Cuba's wealth of antique cars is also a paean to the people who keep their weary cacharros on the road. In a photojournalistic essay that traces the long love affair between Cubans and the American automobile, Christopher P. Baker also celebrates Cuba's landscapes and colours, his images putting the cars within a tropical setting both sensual and surreal. Written in a lively, engaging style, "Cuba Classics" draws upon memoirs, museum records, personal interviews and Cuba's own dusty archives. It mixes history with present-day impressions and technical detail with personal observations.