Category Archives: Then & Now Pictures

Dominican Republic Then & Now / Antes & Despues

Have you ever looked at a place, building or street in the present and wondered what it might have looked like 10, 50 or 100 years ago? I do this also. I am trying to find these pictures to show what the same area looked like in the past. If you have any before and after or then and now pictures to share please send them my way with as much of a detailed description as possible. This is our history and our present.

Pictures of places in Dominican Republic showing older pictures of the past with the same place in present time.

Then & Now –

Alcazar de Colon

Casa de las Academias – Casa de Lilís

Cine Capitolio

Then & Now – Cine Max

Ornamental Fountain Monument / Monumento De Fuente Ornamental

Colmado Los Muchachos

Ornamental Fountain Monument

Palacio de Borgellá

These pages are in the old non-responsive web site until I can get them moved to the new site.

*Instituto Salomé Ureña

*Port Command at Ave U.S. Marine Corp.

Buildings/Edificios-Monuments/Monumentos, Then & Now Pictures

Then & Now – Instituto Salomé Ureña

Instituto Salomé Ureña

“Instituto de Señoritas” was the first school for higher learning for ladies in the Dominican Republic.

Instituto de Señoritas Salomé Ureña de Henriquez in the 1940's.
Instituto de Señoritas Salomé Ureña de Henriquez in the 1940’s.


 

The school was the dream of Eugenio María de Hostos and Dominican poet Salomé Ureña de Henriquez (Salomé Ureña – born October 21, 1850 – died March 6, 1897 from tuberculous).

Ladies School Salomé Ureña de Henriquez August 9, 2012 after it was completely remodeled and waiting for the Presidents arrival to inaugurate the new building.
Ladies School Salomé Ureña de Henriquez August 9, 2012 after it was completely remodeled and waiting for the Presidents arrival to inaugurate the new building.


 

Ladies School Salomé Ureña de Henriquez August 9, 2012 after it was completely remodeled inauguration of the new building.
Ladies School Salomé Ureña de Henriquez August 9, 2012 after it was completely remodeled inauguration of the new building.

Opened November 3, 1881, the school was the first center of higher education for women in the Dominican Republic. After 5 years open the school boasted its first graduates, 6 female teachers, very uncommon at this time. One of the original graduates was teacher and Women’s Rights activist Luisa Ozema Pellerano.


 

Ladies School Salomé Ureña de Henriquez front entrance in 2018
Ladies School Salomé Ureña de Henriquez front entrance in 2018

The building that houses the modern school was designed by the architect Marcial Pou Ricart in 1944 in an Art-Deco style.

Instituto Salomé Ureña is located on Calle 19 de Marzo #56, Ciudad Colonial, Santo Domingo.

Plaza de la Poesía has a statue of Ureña.


 

Buildings/Edificios-Monuments/Monumentos, Then & Now Pictures

Then & Now – Casa de las Academias

Then & Now – Casa de las Academias – Casa de Lilís

Casa de las Academias also known as Casa de Lilís is a unique building with a beautiful French-style balcony. It was at one time the home of President Ulises Heureaux, then the Oficinas de la Aduanas (Customs offices) and now the Casa de las Academias.

These pictures are from 1917 and, 100 years later, in 2017.

Oficinas de la Aduanas before Casa del dictador Ulises Heureaux 1917
Oficinas de la Aduanas before Casa del dictador Ulises Heureaux 1917

This was the home of Ulises Hilarión Heureaux Lebert and family. His nickname was Lilís. Heureaux was president of the Dominican Republic from 1 September 1882 to 1 September 1884, from 6 January to 27 February 1887 and again from 30 April 1889 maintaining power between his terms until his assassination by Ramon Caceres. (Wikipedia- Ulises Heureaux)

Casa de las Academias 2017
Casa de las Academias 2017

The building, located on Calle Las Mercedes, is now home to the Casa de las Academias is known as the Seat of the Academies of History, Language and Sciences/ Sede de las Academias de Historia, de la Lengua y de la Ciencias.

More about the Casa de las Academias.


Buildings/Edificios-Monuments/Monumentos, Then & Now Pictures

Cine Leonor

Cine Leonor

The once splendid Cinema Leonor, subsequently called Multicine Colonial, was one of the many theaters in the Colonial Zone area. This theatre, at one time showing all the popular films of the time, later turned into a parking garage and now lies abandoned.

The old Cine Leonor on Calle Arzobispo Nouel at 19 de Marzo, Ciudad Colonial, Santo Domingo.
The old Cine Leonor on Calle Arzobispo Nouel at 19 de Marzo, Ciudad Colonial, Santo Domingo.

Cine Leonor

The front entrance to Cine Leonor 1970
The front entrance to Cine Leonor 1970

The Cine Leonor, with its classic Baroque-style facade, inaugurated on August 16, 1956. This first-class cinema had a grand second-floor arcade, large balcony and private seating stalls with retractable seats plus a special area for smokers. The theater was air-conditioned and had a large entrance hall and ticket office.

A view of the second floor arcade of the Multicine Colonial. You can still see some of the name.
A view of the second floor arcade of the Multicine Colonial. You can still see some of the name.

Leonor was a large cinema for its time and held sizable crowds that wanted to come, escape ordinary life, to enjoy a popular movie. During the theater’s heyday there was a Sunday matinee plus their usual schedule showing 2 movies every evening.

A view of the second floor arcade of the Cine Leonor, later La Colonial
A view of the second floor arcade of the Cine Leonor, later La Colonial

Mulitcine Colonial

Multicine Colonial Leonor Teatro El Resplandor (The Shining) on marquis 1980
Multicine Colonial Leonor Teatro El Resplandor (The Shining) on marquis 1980

The new Colonial Cinema was inaugurated on December 25, 1980. Along with the name change, the theater was split into 4 smaller rooms, 2 on the ground floor and 2 on the second floor.

The entrance floor tiles are still visible, Leonor
The entrance floor tiles are still visible, Leonor

The cinema closed in the early 1990s. Now the building is in ruins. They have abandoned the once splendid movie theater turned parking garage. You can still see the name Leonor on the floor tiles at the entrance of the building. Looking inside, it is dark and dismal. I can’t imagine that this derelict building was previously a high-class theater.

The interior of Cine Leone around 1965
The interior of Cine Leone around 1965

Location

– Calle Arzobispo Noel at 19 de Marzo, Ciudad Colonial, Santo Domingo.

reference: https://historiadominicanaengraficas.blogspot.com/