Paco Cano Lorenza (18 December 1912 – 27 July 2016), also known as Canito, was a Spanish photojournalist from Valencia, who specialized in torero photography.[1]
Biography
editCano was born in Alicante, Spain, in the neighborhood of Goteta, on 18 December 1912. He was the son of Vicente Cano, who served as bullfighter with the nickname "Rejillas". His father set up a small business renting out chairs and awnings. Paco first caped a cow that had escaped from the slaughterhouse there.[2] At 17 Cano tried his fortune as a boxer in the flyweight category. He then tried his hand in a bullfight in Alicante, as an espontáneo, or spontaneous bullfighter, and got sent to jail, but eventually had a debut alongside the novilleras, the Palmeño sisters.[3] At a bullfight in Orihuela, Alicante, he suffered a goring.
During the war, Cano lived in Madrid, entering the world of photography as a laboratory assistant at a cosmetics factory while still working as a bullfighter. Being a "bullfighter-photographer" he had the advantage of knowing two techniques: how to capture the right moment, and how to use the camera. Cano decided to leave bullfighting and dedicate himself to photography. Among those matadors photographed are Domingo Ortega, Pepe Luis Vazquez, and Luis Miguel Dominguin. Later Cano worked with publications like ABC, Hierro, La Plaza, and Aplausos.[4] He turned 100 in December 2012.[5] He died on 27 July 2016 at the age of 103.[6]
Manolete
editCano was in Linares (Jaén), where he was the only photojournalist in Linares on the afternoon of matador Manolete's death in the ring. The images Cano took that afternoon and the next night went around the world.[7] He earned little money for them, but Cano was forever known as the photographer of the death of Manolete.[8] He photographed the shrouded corpse of the matador[9] with the crucifix in his hands, and his girlfriend, Lupe Sino heartbroken. These images had great impact in the press, as most of the public only knew the Spanish bullfighter by his voice from the radio before these were published.[10] Their story was later made into a film with Adrien Brody and Penélope Cruz, called Manolete.
Cano traveled from bullring to bullring to continue capturing snapshots of the bullfighting art that fascinated him so much. His career began at the age of 30, accumulating 69 years of profession.
After more than six decades as a professional, his photographic archive is undoubtedly exceptionally rich.
References
edit- ^ [1] Facebook fan page of Paco Cano
- ^ "Canito inaugura exposición en el Museo Taurino". iRoquetas (in Spanish). iCiudad. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ El Zubi (17 December 2009). "Las hermanas Palmeño, surgieron auspiciadas por la estela creada por Juanita Cruz". Desde el tendido (in Spanish). Blogspot. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ "Homenaje al fotógrafo taurino Paco Cano en la Universidad de Navarra". Universia (in Spanish). 26 February 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ "Paco Cano, un alicantino universal, cumple hoy 100 años". Alicante Fiesta (in Spanish). 18 December 2012. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ EFE (27 July 2016). "Fallece Francisco Cano «Canito», el fotógrafo de toreros que retrató la muerte de Manolete". ABC (in Spanish). Valencia: Vocento. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ Soto Viñolo, Juan (18 April 2011). "La muerte de Manolete". Biblioteca Digital de Sala de Historia. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
- ^ Molina, Violeta (24 November 2009). ""Lloré menos a mi padre que a Manolete"". Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). Madrid: Prensa Ibérica. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ "Manolete muerto en Linares". lh5 (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ "Manolete and Cano". Mitaurored (in Spanish). 4 April 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
External links
edit- Mitos Book by Cano
- "The first 95 years of Cano" - Article in LaVerdad.es
- Cano honored at the University of Navarra
- Homage to Paco Cano Villena[permanent dead link]
- "If I was born again, I would be a bullfighter or a photographer" Abc de Sevilla[permanent dead link]
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