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Take a Trip to Cuba With These Glamorous Vintage Photos

Photo: Vicente Mu?iz/Bohemia

In the early 1980s, Ramiro Fernández was working as a photo editor at Time Inc. when he bought a set of prints by the Spanish-born Cuban photographer José Gómez de la Carrera. Finding that the mid-century images of Cuba recalled memories of his childhood milieu — Fernández lived in Cuba until he was 8 — he began collecting historical photographs of Cuban life on a broader scale.

Today, spanning over 150 years of the nation’s history, the Ramiro A. Fernández Collection is one of the world’s largest archives of Cuban photography and the subject of a new book, Cuba Then, out next month. Comprised of over 300 images, the book provides a rich look at Cuba’s cultural history, from smoking movie stars to a young, bare-chested Che Guevara. Click through our slideshow for a taste of old-Cuba glamour, including images of Spanish-Mexican actress Emilia Guiú, Chilean singer Lucho Gatica, and more.

Havana, c. 1956

Cuban-born singer and dancer Lina Salomé

Havana, 1957

1958

The Chilean singer Lucho Gatica at the Havana Hilton

Santiago de Cuba, 1960

Cross-dressed revelers during Carnival

Havana, 1948

Mexican singer and songwriter Agustín Lara and actress Maria Felix

Havana, 1952

Actress Emilia Guiú

Havana, 1946

César Romero and Mexican actress Elena de La Cruz

Havana, 1954

Take a Trip to Cuba With These Vintage Photos