Voces del Prado

Photographing the Guernica at the Casón

Carlos Manso Manso, General Operations Service Technician (Photographer), 1953-1999

I can see it right now: I remember that the Guernica arrived all rolled up and they put it in the Casón together with all the preparatory drawings. The collection was important. I remember they set up a glass screen that was resistant to anything, with flags on either side … The Main Hall of the Casón was very beautiful. Later we began a very important project to photograph all the preparatory drawings for the Guernica, including the painting itself, of course. It was very hard work. My father was still there, and we worked surrounded by Civil Guards, because that picture was untouchable, something special, in view of the circumstances that surrounded it.