Living Shrines: Home Altars of New Mexico [Hardcover]

Marie R. Cash (Author), Siegfried Halus (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999

The tradition of home shrines first began evolving in the American Southwest during the Mexican colonial period, when priests often travelled to homes to perform mass, novenas, baptisms, and marriages, a practice that continues today. This colourful book features the personal altars of mostly Hispanic families living in the towns and villages of northern New Mexico. Most are devoutly Catholic, and although Roman Catholic dogma does not officially recognise home shrines, the altar tradition for most Hispanos is a sign of being 'Catholic from the heart'. Their private altars allow for devotion in daily life, a practice embraced by those of all beliefs who desire personal sacred places to meditate, pray, or reflect. These portraits will serve as an inspiration for even the least devout among us desiring more spirituality in our lives.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The tradition of home shrines first began evolving in the American Southwest during the Mexican colonial period, when priests often traveled to homes to perform mass, novenas, baptisms, and marriages, a practice that continues today. This colorful book features the personal altars of mostly Hispanic families living in the towns and villages of northern New Mexico. Most are devoutly Catholic, and although Roman Catholic dogma does not officially recognize home shrines, the altar tradition for most Hispanos is a sign of being "Catholic from the heart." Their private altars allow for devotion in daily life, a practice embraced by those of all beliefs who desire personal sacred places to meditate, pray, or reflect. These portraits will serve as an inspiration for even the least devout among us desiring more spirituality in our lives.

Internationally renowned photographer Siegfried Halus renders the shrines in all their colorful splendor, arranges in living rooms and bedrooms, mounted on dressers, fireplace mantels, refrigerators and television sets, and in grotto structures placed in yards and on roadsides. The indoor altars are laid out with rosaries, prayer books, candles, holy water, and plaster statues of religious figures alongside family photographs, mementos, and special written requests. The altars vary from the unpretentious to elaborate arrangements with dried or fresh flowers and decorated with traditional Hispanic folk art such as santos and tinwork.

Lucy R. Lippard explores the place of personal shrines in contemporary culture, and Marie Romero Cash puts into historical context the use of home altars by Nuevo Mexicanos. Both essays draw from interviews with owners and residents of the more than eighty home altars featured.

Lippard is an art historian and the author of fifteen books on contemporary art, including the recent Lure of the Local. Romero Cash is a writer, artist and santera. Siegfried Halus is chairman of the art department at Santa Fe Community College and a lifelong teacher of photography. He has been exhibited and published widely in the U.S. and Europe.

About the Author

Marie Romero Cash

Product Details

• Hardcover: 124 pages
• Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890133697
• ISBN-13: 978-0890133699
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,401,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, June 29, 2007

By 

thetwinmakers "thetwinmakers" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Shrines: Home Altars of New Mexico (Paperback)

Beautiful photos and interesting stories behind them. If you love staring at photos for minutes at a time, this is eye candy!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Inspiring Work, May 10, 2011

By 

Elise (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Shrines: Home Altars of New Mexico (Paperback)

This book was my introduction to Christian home shrines and it is one which I treasure. I disagree with the reviewers who appraised it so critically: the personal stories, background of shrines in New Mexico, and the vivid photographs enhanced my faith.

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring and garish..., July 24, 2009

By 

LMKC "seeker" (Wilton, nh) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Shrines: Home Altars of New Mexico (Paperback)

I don't often write reviews, but this time I felt the need to express myself. This was a really disjointed read. The author seemed to ramble, and to repeat the same topics over and over again. Being a Catholic I also have a home altar. While I like things a bit subdued, I bought the book hoping for some inspiration. Instead what I found were extremely garish photos, most of which looked almost identical to each other. Don't waste your money.