cover image Museos de Cuba = Cuban Museums

Museos de Cuba = Cuban Museums

Ana Lucia Ortega Alvarez. Agualarga Editores, $53.45 (200pp) ISBN 978-84-95088-05-5

Ortega Alvarez's abundantly illustrated book opens the door on a part of Cuba that even most Havana tourists ignore: its museums. The 20 museums showcased in this volume provide an interesting cross-section of Cuban history. The Hemingway museum in Havana recalls the country's place as refuge for the great writer. The Museum of Decorative Arts offers an oblique view of the island's opulent colonial past. (Most of its objects were brought from Europe or Asia.) The Carnival Museum shows the beauty of Cuba's textiles and crafts. The House of Jos Marti celebrates the life of the country's beloved leader and writer. Ortega Alvarez's accompanying text is dry but informative, describing each museum's construction, inauguration, and collection. And though the book may not be thorough enough for academics, its plentiful color photographs make it a lovely coffee-table book. For bookstores and larger public libraries specializing in Cuban history. Marcela Vald s, ""Criticas""