The Palma of yesteryear
Forty years may seem like a short or a long time, depending on one’s perspective. But in any case, it is sufficient to leave us amazed by the radical change some of Palma’s emblematic spaces have undergone, not to speak of the customs and habits of the city’s inhabitants. Joan Llompart Coll, alias Torrelló (Palma, 1939), photographed the city, its streets and its people for over 60 years. His work is a valuable document that allows us to discover our city as it used to be.
“I was 12 years old and I wanted to start working. One day, walking down Calle Colón in Palma, I noticed two signs, one in the window of Casa Planas and the other in Relojería Alemana. They both sought the services of an errand boy. At the time photography seemed more interesting to me than watches. When I went in the door I could already see myself holding a camera, developing a film... When I asked for the job, the owners laughed at me. Although I realised later that these same owners had noticed that I was a clever kid. So I went back to Casa Planas with my father, and that same day they gave me the job, for two Pesetas a week”. Torrelló says he was always a restless, curious lad, who wandered around from one place to another, and who even knew hunger. Back then Casa Planas had a lot of shops in the city. He [...]
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