The Border as Symptom

Donald Trump's visit to the wall on last March, 13th. Photo AFP, edited by RG /// Visita de Donald Trump a la valla el  pasado 13 de marzo. Foto AFP, editada por RG

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"The border is the furious symptom of this moment in which the limits of space and time have become blurred. The space overcome by the instant condition of Internet, time as the continuous present of the permanent connection. The border everywhere, multiplying, like the virus of a lethal disease. (…) 

While tweeting his horror at the death of Syrian civilians, Trump continues to proclaim the construction of a "big, fat, beautiful wall" on the border with Mexico. It would be good news if it were only an aberration chosen by the Americans. But Trump, the barrier builder, expands his ideas all over the planet, transforming himself into the embodiment of the visual expression of the contemporary world." 

Article, by Eliane Brum. (translated by RG). Read it (Spanish) here

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"La frontera es el síntoma furioso de este momento en que los límites del espacio y del tiempo se han desdibujado. El espacio vencido por la instantaneidad de Internet, el tiempo como el presente continuo de la conexión permanente. La frontera en todas partes, multiplicándose, como el virus de una enfermedad letal (...)

Mientras tuitea su horror por la muerte de civiles sirios, Trump sigue pregonando la construcción de un “muro grande, gordo y bonito” en la frontera con México. Sería una buena noticia si solo fuera una aberración elegida por los americanos. Pero Trump, el constructor de barreras, se expande por el planeta transformándose en la encarnación de la expresión visual del mundo contemporáneo."

Artículo, por Eliane Brum. Artículo completo aqui

Two Landscapes

US-MEXICO Border in San Luis del Rio Grande. The border is the central line; a second wall , on american soil (left of image) helps to secure the area (Google Earth, edited by RG)

This aerial view, taken in San Luis del Rio Grande, has been widely published as an example of the madness introduced by borders: where once stood a continuous landscape, now the line draws two opposed worlds: a sandy dessert and a dense urban fabric, almost glued to the wall: only a thin road separes the  houses from the actual border.

W. H. Emory, detail map at El Paso

Detal plan of the US Comission, showing the city of El Paso (scale: 1/60.000)

The Title reads as follows:

BOUNDARY

BETWEEN THE

UNITED STATES AND MEXICO

shewing the 

INITIAL POINT under the Treaty of December, 30th 1853

Astronomically determined and surveyed in 1855 under the direction of

WILLIAM H. EMORY U.S. Commissioner

______________ . ____________

Latitude and Longitude by W.H.EMORY, assisted by J.H CLARK

Triangulations and Topography by M.von HIPPEL assisted

by J.E.WEISS

Projected and drawn by F.HERBST

scale 1/60000

As in Salazar Ilarregui's map, it is signed by both commissioners, here on the lower left side, with the following statement:

"This Map has been compared with the corresponding Map of the Mexican Commission (...) to represent the true Boundary. The two Maps agree, except in the bed of the river, which circumstances is consequence of the two Surveys being made at different periods, six months apart, during which time the river changed its bed as it is constantly doing, but always between  narrow limits"

Salazar Ilarregui: Detail Map nº 1

First detail map (scale: 1/30.000) Showing the beginning of the borderline in California, south of San Diego, where monument number 1 was set

The map title reads as follows:

LINEA DIVISORIA

ENTRE 

MEXICO Y LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS

Conforme al tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo

trazado en 1850 por

JOSE SALAZAR ILARREGUI

Y

FRANCISCO M.  DE CHAVERO

MAPA

Levantado por los mismos

SE MARCO ESTA LINEA EN 1851

bajo la dirección de los Comisionados respectivos

GENERAL PEDRO G. CONDE  Y MAYOR W. H. EMORY

On the lower right side of the map: "compared and agreed to" and signatures of Emory and Salazar Ilarregui:

Lines on Earth 1

Drawings from Emory's expedition Report, 1856.

The Guadalupe-Hidalgo treaty put an end to the Mexican-American war in 184. establishing new geographic limits between both nations: from the Rio Grande (in Mexico: Rio Bravo del Norte), the new line would run until El Paso (today: Ciudad Juarez-El Paso), from there to the Gila river and the Rio Colorado Channel, to end in the --already established by the Spaniards-- division between the Alta and Baja California.

The need for the definition of a physical border based on the terms of the treaty prompted the establishment of two survey teams, Mexican and American. Works started in 1849, just a year after the end of the war. Both teams agreed to work in a parallel process, drawing over the landscape a virtual polygonal line defined by a series of boundary stones or “monuments”, numbered from 1 to 250, so that from each one the following milestone could be easily traced.

The American commission was leaded by John Russell Barlett, explorer and adventure story-teller, although many in the expedition team considered his real purpose was rather writing a best-selling book than solving the boundary definition problem. The task fell in his successor, William Hemsley Emory, an efficient and dedicated military man. The Mexican team was leaded by Jose Salazar Ilarregui, a 25 years old civil servant, committed to the task to the point of facing extra cost and payments with his own money.

The Commissions’ work is excellently narrated in the first chapter of the most interesting book Why Walls Won’t Work, Repairing the US-Mexico Divide, from Michael Dear (only in English, so far), from which many data has been taken for the present text. Dear toured the border route several times, locating and documenting the original monuments and describing the successive changes in the landscape. For the author, both Emory and Salazar Ilarregui (he writes “Ylarregui”, while I am using the Mexican spelling) reach the role of true mythical American heroes

The survey was carried out in three phases, not linearly successive, but determined by their difficulty. Both commissions started their works on July, 6^th, 1849 in the Pacific coast, near a ranch from a certain “aunt Juana” (“Tia Juana” in Spanish), which gave way to “Tijuana”. Luz Maria Oralia relates the agreed procedure between both commissions to fix the starting point: a) They would work independently to determine the geographic coordinates of the ends of the line. b) They would determine the azimuth of this line, at both ends. c) They would locate the most central point of the port of San Diego, and once done this, d) They would measure the marine league mentioned in the Treaty.

Soon a spirit of collaboration arose between the two committees, which often resolved their different measurements by splitting by half the differences, in order to avoid new endless negotiating tables. The Mexican team had a technical instrument of inferior quality (it seems they were scammed in the shipment from Paris), which often increased the time needed for measurements. The teams verified their measurements and erected a series of prefab marble or cast-iron milestones. Seven milestones were installed between the Pacific and the Colorado river. Although this number was considered enough, when the separation between two milestones was too large some stone mounds were erected as intermediate boundary markers .

Second phase was held along the natural border of the Rio Colorado, where the commissions found many difficulties and hardship. In many areas, the river spread and divided in many branches , in a way that it was very difficult to specify the main channel, axis of the border. The, sandy and unstable fluvial lands (with dunes in the mouth of the river), made difficult the placement of landmarks. The third and last part, between El Paso and the Colorado River, was developed in 1855, relatively faster than the previous two, having both teams already greater experience.

Finally, both teams issued their respective reports. In June, 1856, Salazar and Emery met in Washington, where they agreed to make a double set of maps (one for each of their respective governments) in two series at different scales: a general cartography in six plans (scale: 1/600.000) and a detail cartography of 54 plans at scales 1/30.000 (California) and 1/60.000 (all the rest). Original Mexican plans are kept in the Mapoteca Manuel Orozco y Berra, in Mexico city, while the Americans are deposited in the National Archives in Maryland (NARA). According to Dear. They are completely different plans, while Luz Maria Oralia Tamayo, from the Geographic Institute of the UNAM maintains that the common basis of both plans is the same, although with  different drawings and annotations in both different languages.
(text: RG)

Lineas sobre la tierra 1

David Taylor, Boundary Monument No. 210, 2009. From the series Working the Line. 

El tratado de Guadalupe-Hidalgo ponía fin a la guerra méxico-estadounidense y establecía unos nuevos limites geográficos entre ambos estados: desde el Rio Grande (en México: Rio Bravo del Norte) hasta El Paso (actual Ciudad-Juarez- El Paso), de ahí al rio Gila y canal del rio Colorado para seguir la división ya establecida anteriormente por España entre la Alta y la Baja California.

En 1849, un año después del fin de la guerra, se ponían en marcha los trabajos conjuntos para la delimitación fisica de una frontera. El replanteamiento se realizo por dos equipos, estadounidense y mexicano, que trazaron de manera coordinada sobre el territorio una frontera definida por una serie de mojones o “monumentos”, numerados del 1 al 250, de manera que desde cada uno podría localizarse el siguiente, dibujando sobre el territorio una linea poligonal imaginaria.

La comisión estadounidense estaba dirigida por John Russell Bartlett, explorador, divulgador y narrador de aventuras, aunque muchos en el equipo consideraban que su interés en la comisión residía mas en escribir un libro de éxito que en solucionar un levantamiento. La tarea recayó básicamente sobre su sucesor,, William Hemsley Emory, un eficiente y entregado militar. El equipo mexicano estaba dirigido por José Salazar Ilarregui, un funcionario que a la sazón contaba solo con 25 años, comprometido con la tarea hasta el punto de resolver pagos y costes con su propio dinero.

La tarea está explendidamente narrada en el capitulo 1 del excelente libro Why Walls won’t Work-Repairing the US-Mexico Divide, de Michael Dear (hasta la fecha solo en inglés), del que se han tomado muchos datos para este texto. Dear recorrió en varias ocasiones el trazado fronterizo , localizando y documentando los monumentos originales y describiendo los sucesivos cambios en el paisaje. Para el autor, tanto Emory como Salazar Ilarregui (al que denomina “Ylarregui”, aunque aquí se ha seguido su denominación mexicana) adquieren el papel de verdaderos héroes míticos.

El levantamiento se realizó en tres fases, no linealmente sucesivas, sino determinadas por su dificultad. Las comisiones empezaron sus trabajos el 6 de julio de 1849 en la costa del Pacífico, justo al sur de San Diego no muy lejano al rancho de la tía Juana (futura Tijuana) Luz Maria Oralia detalla el procedimiento acordado entre ambas comisiones para fijar el punto de partida: a) Trabajarían de manera independiente para determinar las coordenadas geográficas de los extremos de la Iínea. b) Determinarían el azimut de la misma, a uno y otro extremo de la Iínea. c) Localizarían el punto más central del puerto de San Diego, y hecho esto, d) Medirían la legua marina que se mencionaba en el Tratado.

Pronto surgió un espíritu de colaboración entre ambas comisiones, que resolvian a menudo sus diferentes mediciones partiendo por la mitad las diferencias, a fin de evitar interminables discusiones en mesas de negociaciones. El equipo mexicano poseía un instrumental técnico de inferior calidad (parece ser que les estafaron en el envío desde Paris), que a menudo repercutía en el tiempo necesario para las mediciones. Los equipos verificaban sus mediciones, resolvían las diferencias y erguían unos mojones preparados, de mármol o de fundición. Se instalaron 7 mojones entre el el Pacifico y el Rio Colorado. Aunque se consideró este numero suficiente, cuando las separaciones eran excesivas se levantaban montículos de piedra, a modo de hitos intermedios.

La segunda fase se levantó a lo largo del Rio Colorado, donde surgieron muchas dificultades: en muchos puntos el rio se abría y separaba en muchos ramales, de manera que era muy dificil precisar el cauce principal, eje de separación. Los terrenos fluviales, arenosos e inestables (formando dunas en la desembocadora del rio), dificultaban la colocación de mojones. La tercera y última parte, entre El Paso y el Rio Colorado se desarrolló en 1855, entre El Paso y el rio Colorado, relativamente mas rápida que las dos anteriores, por contar ya ambos equipos con una mayor experiencia previa.

Finalmente, ambos equipos emitieron sus respectivos informes. En junio de 1856, Salazar y Emery se reunen en Washington, donde acordaron realizar un doble juego de mapas (uno para cada gobierno) en dos series, a dos escalas distintas: una cartografía general (4 planos a escala 1/600.000) y una cartografía de detalle (54 planos, a escala 1/30.000 en California y 1 /60.000 en el resto). Los planos originales mejicanos se conservan en la Mapoteca Manuel Orozco y Berra, Ciudad de México., mientras que los estadounidenses están depositados en los National Archives de Maryland (NARA). Segun Dear, son planos diferentes, mientras que Luz Maria Oralia Tamayo, del Instituto de Geografía de la UNAM sostiene que se manejan los mismos planos base, pero con distintas anotaciones en los dos idiomas en ambas versiones.

(texto: RG)

Hot Spots

Location of Main crossing spots at the border- Diameter of circles express the  relative average flow of crossing (Artwork from Dreamline Cartography, www.dreamlinecartography.com )
Principales  puntos de paso de frontera. El diámetro te los círculos expresa el flujo medio relativo de tránsitos (presentación de Dreamline Cartography, www.dreamlinecartography.com )

Easy crossing...

Touch of Evil / Sombra de mal (Mex) / Sed de mal (Esp-Argen),

This 1958 Orson Welles‘ film has one of the most awesome openings: an incredible  long-lasting (3:30 minutes) continuous sequence-shot that shows both main characters (Chartlon Heston and Janet Leigh, a mixed mexico-american couple, and a car (back of scene) with a clockmaking bomb, crossing the US-Mexican border.  Critics consider one of the best opening-shots of all times, "an example of technical brilliance and a Master class in cinematic story telling" (P. Scollon). The scene seems to have been shot in a scenery set in Ocean Front Walk, LA-California, not an actual border-post.  Crossing the border in 1958, as shown in the movie, was as easy as a pleasant summer evening stroll.

See the full sequence here 

Translucent Wall

The border between Mexico and the USA seen from Nogales in Mexico. Recently the wall has been replaced by a new one, which is 7-8 metres (22 feet) high. Before it was a closed wall now you can look through it. This was requested by the US border patrol in order to see what was happening on the other side.

Mexico 1847

"Mapa de los Estados Unidos de Méjico, California &c. : segun lo organizado y definido por las varias actas del congreso de dicha Républica y construido por las mejores autoridades"

US Library of Congress. Publisher: J. Disturnell, NY. Date: 1847. Location in Library of Congress:  http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g4410.ct000581

Map of Mexico  in 1847, prior to the US-Mexican war. This map was used to establish the new borders between both countries by the US Government

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"The first Disturnell edition, and the second Martin edition (after the 1828 White Gallaher and White first edition). Wheat calls this edition a "famous" map. This edition is distinguished by the absence of a trail line running directly from San Antonio to Austin, Texas, that appears on the third Martin edition. Compared to our seventh edition (see our # 2541), there are substantially fewer towns, roads, and physical features both in Mexico and the U.S. The two profiles in the Pacific and two inset maps in the Gulf of Mexico of the 1847 edition are not present. The covers and paste down statistics are the same as our 1847 edition. The map was printed from the same plate as the 1828 White Gallaher and White edition, evidenced by the faint copyright notice in the lower right corner under the neat line; Disturnell made many updates to the 1828 edition, and its republication by him was occasioned by the outbreak of the Mexican War. White Gallaher and White copied and slightly enlarged Henry Tanner's 1826 Map of the United States of Mexico (see our #5176). Martin lists twenty three editions of Disturnell's map. A significant difference between the Disturnell map and the earlier editions by White Gallaher and White, and Tanner, is the moving of the boundary line between Alta and Baja California about 70 miles further north toward San Diego, which was then used as the boundary in the treaty to end the Mexican War. Map is full color, folded into red cloth covers 15x10 with "Mexico." stamped in gold. Relief shown by hachures and spot heights. Prime meridian: Washington."

( text from: David Rumsey Map collection. www.davidrumsey.com. )