The photographs that are included in this book form part of the archive of the photographer Alberto Flores Varela. The majority were taken

on commission by the Sociedad de Cuauhtémoc y Famosa (SCyF), an institution established in 1918 for Cervecería Cuauhtémoc (Cuauhtémoc Brewing Company), a company that marked the foundation of modern Monterrey. It’s worth noting that the context of those years was of revolution. The business’ elite was threatened by the labor rights included in the new constitution of 1917, which featured the right to strike. This is how the “most fortunate” workers of modern Monterrey were domesticated. It was thus decided to sacrifice freedom of expression, free association, and democratic representation of the workers, among other rights, in exchange for maintaining employment in “the company.” This book depicts the first flash of restrained disillusionment: “forever loyal.”
‍
These images represent the seed of the social order that was established in many industrial cities around the world.
‍