The wake for Juan Franco will take place at the 'Hermanitas de los Ancianos Desamparados' residence in Tafira. This Wednesday, December 4, at 15.30:10 p.m., his remains will be transferred to the Santa María de Guía cemetery. The funeral in his memory will be held on Tuesday, December 19.30 at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. in the Parish of San Fernando de Maspalomas.
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San Bartolomé de Tirajana sadly bids farewell to Juan Franco López, known as Juan “el Retratista”, who passed away at the age of 88. The photographer who captured the transformation of the town over more than five decades. His legacy, made up of more than 5.000 images, tells the story of the town's evolution from its agricultural roots to becoming one of the most important tourist destinations in Europe.
During the 60s, when San Bartolomé de Tirajana began to open up to European tourism, Juan Franco was the only photographer in the town. Since then, his camera has witnessed the most significant changes: from the construction of the first hotels such as the Oasis or the Protucasa Maspalomas to the arrival of the mini-train and the rise of tourism in Playa del Inglés.
Born in a farming area of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Franco began his career as a travelling photographer with a 6 x 6 camera and magnesium flashes. Self-taught and restless, he studied photography by correspondence while working as a farmer. His passion led him to document pilgrimages, baptisms, weddings and activities in the town, immortalising both the local residents and the first tourists who came to enjoy the sun and beaches of Gran Canaria.
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Juan Franco also left his mark on the media. His photographs filled the pages of publications such as El Eco de Canarias, Canarias7 and La Provincia, immortalising historic events, royal visits and unforgettable moments in the municipality.
His photographic archive is a documentary treasure trove that allows us to relive the history of a town that went from being an agricultural town to a world tourist epicentre. The images of “El Retratista” are a living testimony of the fishing in the Maspalomas pond, the tomato crops, the construction of large hotels and the arrival of tourists who forever transformed the economy and identity of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.
Today, Juan Franco leaves behind an invaluable legacy that forms part of Gran Canaria's cultural heritage. His camera, always a faithful companion, allowed us to look back and preserve in images the essence of a town that has not forgotten its history.
His memory will live on in every photograph he left behind as testimony to a life dedicated to capturing the transformation and soul of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.
D.E.P
