Janet Alvarado, the daughter of Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado (1914–76), discovered a tremendous archive of nearly 3,000 negatives and photographs in her parents’ garage after her father’s death in 1976. Astonished that her father had never discussed his photography with her, she realized the important treasure she had uncovered. In 1998, Janet established The Alvarado Project to ensure the preservation of her father’s unique cultural record of Filipino American life in CA.
The Smithsonian first displayed an exhibition of Alvarado’s photography, “Through My Father’s Eyes,” in 2002. Since then, Janet has curated exhibitions throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Stanford University Libraries now permanently holds the collection of Alvarado’s work, and Janet continues to work tirelessly to share her father’s legacy.
See “Ricardo Alvarado: Capturing a Cultural Legacy” on display, pre-security, in Terminal 3 and online at: https://bit.ly/3VDJLvm
SFO Museum