Photo exhibit captures everyday life in Cuba

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A woman selling mangoes at a Havana fruit market. Another mopping the front stairs of a crumbling building. Four American cars from the 1950s parked on a street. 

These are some of the images at the “Faces of Cuba” exhibition, featuring photography by Walter Pofeldt. It is now showing at the Poe Park Visitor Center.

“Cuba was very photogenic. It lends itself to taking photographs,” Mr. Pofeldt said. 

The images are not political statements, Mr. Pofeldt said. Instead, they reflect the daily lives of people in Cuba, whom Mr. Pofeldt encountered during a 12-day trip to the island nation. 

Mr. Pofeldt had spent 29 years of his life working as a maintenance supervisor for the city Housing Authority, before retiring in 1995. He then began a second career as a photojournalist, which stemmed from his hobby as a photographer. His work appeared frequently in The Bronx Times in the early 2000s, and later at The Riverdale Press. 

In October 2015, he took the 12-day trip to Cuba, a group tour that included Havana, Cienfuegos and Trinidad: “I thought I want to go there before things change, too much because they are talking about lifting the embargo,” he said. 

He whittled down the nearly 1,000 pictures he took during his trip to 20 images for display.

Poe Park Visitor Center’s director and curator, Lucy Aponte, said she asked Mr. Pofeldt about displaying his photography at the gallery after seeing some of his work.

“I thought it would be a great exhibition and very interesting for people,” said Ms. Aponte. 

As Mr. Pofeldt walked through the exhibit on a recent day, he told the stories behind some of his photos. 

The woman selling mangoes at a market was one of his favorite images, he said. 

“It was a great experience just to go into that market. It was not a tourist spot. It was a genuine working Havana fruit market,” Mr. Pofeldt said. “She’s got that expression on her face. She’s working hard and trying to sell her mangoes.”  

The encounter was fleeting, and he never exchanged any words with the vendor, he said: “It must have been, like, five minutes and we walked through. And, those five minutes, [I] must have gotten 10 … good  pictures.”

The photo of the woman mopping the front stairs of her home, even though the building is in disrepair, is another of his favorites, Mr. Pofeldt said: “The building is falling apart but she’s cleaning.” 

That picture, along with the others in the exhibit, reflects the pride of the Cuban people, he said. 

One of Ms. Aponte’s favorite pictures in the collection is the image of the vintage American-made cars. 

“You can see they are really old, but they look so good,” said Ms. Aponte.  “In the United States, in New York, that would be a car show. But there, that is not a car show. They just have their cars parked there.”

The Poe Park Visitor Center is located on 2640 Grand Concourse. “Faces of Cuba” will run until Aug. 27, and admission is free. For more information, call 718-365-5516.  

Walter Pofeldt, Faces of Cuba, Poe Park Visitor Center, Lucy Aponte, Lisa Herndon

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