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Walter Mercado channeling Greta Garbo in Vogue

Usage Conditions Apply

Alternate Title: Walter Mercado

Artist: Alexis Rodríguez-Duarte, born 1962
Stylist: Tico Torres, born 1961
Sitter: Walter Mercado, 09 Mar 1932 - 02 Nov 2019

Date: 1998 (printed 2016)

Type: Photograph

Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image: 27.1 × 26.4cm (10 11/16 × 10 3/8"); Sheet: 35.7 × 27.8cm (14 1/16 × 10 15/16")

Topic: Interior; Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair; Costume\Jewelry\Ring; Nature & Environment\Plant; Home Furnishings\Lighting Devices\Lamp; Home Furnishings\Curtain; Walter Mercado: Male; Walter Mercado: Society and Social Change\Astrologer; Portrait

Place: United States\Florida\Dade\Miami

Credit Line: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Restrictions & Rights: Usage conditions apply

Object number: NPG.2017.2

Exhibition Label: Born Ponce, Puerto Rico; Known for his glimmering capes, Walter Mercado was a popular television personality in Latin America and the United States. Originally a dancer and an actor, Mercado’s career took off in the 1970s when he filled in for an astrologer on a Puerto Rican program. His impromptu performance was a hit and paved the way for him to create and produce his own show.; When Mercado’s astrology programs were being broadcast by Univisión (1994–2010), he reached more than 120 million viewers daily. His predictions also appeared in newspapers and magazines, and his voice could be heard on the radio. For fans, Mercado was more than an astrologer; he was a trustworthy source on matters ranging from everyday life to politics. His non-conforming persona, particularly with regard to gender, made him an icon for LGBTQ+ communities. Always one to promote peace and understanding, Mercado signed off each show with “Mucho, mucho amor.”; Nacido en Ponce, Puerto Rico; Conocido por sus destellantes capas, Walter Mercado fue un popular personaje de la televisión en Latinoamérica y Estados Unidos. Se inició como actor y bailarín, pero saltó a la fama en la década de 1970 luego de sustituir a un astrólogo en un programa puertorriqueño. La improvisada actuación fue un éxito y le abrió el camino para crear y producir su propio show.; Cuando sus programas de astrología se transmitían por Univisión (1994–2010), llegaba a diario a más de 120 millones de televidentes. Sus predicciones aparecían en periódicos y revistas, además de escuchársele en la radio. Para sus seguidores, Mercado era más que un astrólogo; era una voz de confianza en asuntos que iban desde lo cotidiano hasta la política. Su imagen anticonvencional, sobre; todo en materia de género, lo convirtió en ícono de las comunidades LGBTQ+. Fomentando siempre la paz y la compresión, concluía todos sus programas deseando “Mucho, mucho amor”.

Data Source: National Portrait Gallery