Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The native language, as on the rest of the Balearic Islands, is Catalan, which is co-official with Spanish.
The name derives from Classical Latin insula maior, "larger island". Later, in Medieval Latin, this became Maiorica, "the larger one", in comparison to Menorca, "the smaller one".
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Balearic Islands have been an autonomous region of Spain since 1983. There are two small islands off the coast of Mallorca: Cabrera (southeast of Palma) and Dragonera (west of Palma).
Like the other Balearic Islands of Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, the island is an extremely popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from Germany and the United Kingdom.
These fascinating black and white photos from the Archive of the Sound and Image of Mallorca that documented everyday life of Mallorca in 1956 and 1957.
The name derives from Classical Latin insula maior, "larger island". Later, in Medieval Latin, this became Maiorica, "the larger one", in comparison to Menorca, "the smaller one".
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Balearic Islands have been an autonomous region of Spain since 1983. There are two small islands off the coast of Mallorca: Cabrera (southeast of Palma) and Dragonera (west of Palma).
Like the other Balearic Islands of Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, the island is an extremely popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from Germany and the United Kingdom.
These fascinating black and white photos from the Archive of the Sound and Image of Mallorca that documented everyday life of Mallorca in 1956 and 1957.
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| Woman refilling at a petrol station, 1956 |
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| Woman removing water from a fountain with children, 1956 |
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| Cart in Coll de Sóller, 1956 |
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| Children looking towards the village of Fornalutx, 1956 |
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| Group of dolls on a street in Palma, 1956 |
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| Group of people around a broken car, 1956 |
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| People at the entrance to the bullring in Palma, 1956 |
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| Horses passing along road at beach near Palma, 1956 |
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| Lady walking from the inside of a wine shop, 1956 |
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| People walking through Valldemossa, 1956 |
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| Man accompanying a bride with people in the background, 1956 |
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| Man selling pots with handle at the back, 1956 |
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| Man with a bicycle at the door from the wharf of Alcúdia, 1956 |
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| Men and cars on a street in Alcudia, 1956 |
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| Men in the bell tower of the hermitage of Santa Magdalena, 1956 |
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| People going up to the church, 1956 |
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| People in Jonquet, 1956 |
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| People in Plaça d'en Jonquet, 1956 |
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| People in the bullring in Palma, 1956 |
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| People in the sailing club of Sóller, 1956 |
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| People sitting on a terrace in Sóller, 1956 |
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| Portrait of a beautiful woman with pitcher, 1956 |
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| Boy sucking liquorice, 1956 |
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| An old man smoking in the street and children in the background, 1956 |
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| Children with clothes hanging in the background, 1956 |
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| Man and woman in a stall of melons, 1956 |
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| A couple in Fornalutx, 1956 |
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| Portrait of man with a hat, 1956 |
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| Man with a network, 1956 |
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| Portrait of man with pig prepared to be cooked, 1956 |
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| Ships in the Port of Sóller and people in the dock, 1956 |
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| Two dolls and a woman walking with umbrellas, 1956 |
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| Two men walking, 1956 |
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| Two people by the sea with boat and mountains in the background, 1956 |
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| Two priests heading towards the oratory of Capdepera Castle, 1956 |
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| Almond gatherers near Inca, 1957 |
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| Almond gatherers near Inca, 1957 |
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| Boys waiting in queue for petrol, 1957 |
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| Carpet factory, Alcúdia, 1957 |
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| Carpet factory, Alcúdia, 1957 |
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| Couple dancing with people around in Fornalutx |
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| Filling lorry with petrol, 1957 |
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| Group of men waiting at the Fornalutx bull's party, 1957 |
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| Group of people dancing in Fornalutx, 1957 |
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| Group of people photographed looking at the descent of the Fornalutx bull, 1957 |
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| Man grazing in the Paseo del Born, 1957 |
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| Man hitting a tree near Inca, 1957 |
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| Men and bull in a street in Fornalutx, 1957 |
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| Men and bull in a street in Fornalutx, 1957 |
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| Mountains of salt, 1957 |
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| People holding almonds from the ground near Inca, 1957 |
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| People in the tram of Sóller, 1957 |
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| People sunbathing in the port of Sóller, 1957 |
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| People watching the descent of the Fornalutx bull, 1957 |
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| People working in a chair factory, 1957 |
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| Portrait of a child in a ceramic factory, 1957 |
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| Portrait of a little girl with balloons on the street, 1957 |
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| Portrait of a woman sitting with her child and clothes in the background, 1957 |
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| Portrait of a ceramist, 1957 |
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| Salt workers, 1957 |
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| Two men looking at lottery results, 1957 |
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| Two men playing their bagpipe and drum, 1957 |
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| Two men walking down the Plaza Joan Carles I in Palma, 1957 |
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| Two women picking up water in a Fornalutx square, 1957 |
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| Views of the town and woman walking next to a canal, 1957 |
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| Women dancing boots with people looking around in Fornalutx, 1957 |
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| Wool drying in Sóller, 1957 |
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| Traditional open kitchen with seated man and woman in the kitchen background, 1958 |
