The Enrique Romero Olivas Photograph and Painting Collection consists of portraits and photographed celebrations of the community living in Ensenada and other locations around northern Baja California. The collection includes color photographs, color negatives, and canvas or wood paintings of such subjects as babies, children, birthdays, quinceañeras, adults, couples, weddings, sports teams, social groups, bands, and work crews. Portraits of babies and children are prominently featured. The photographs were either taken at Romero Olivas’s Estudios Ensenadas at the address of Callejon Rio Seco No. 1176, or off-site at clients’ homes, schools, outdoors, or other locations.

Based on dates written on notations and receipts found with some of the images, the time period documented is from 1968 to 1994. There is little description that accompanied most of the materials; therefore, personal details of the subject, date, and location for each image are sparse. However, some images originally arrived enclosed in small envelopes. These bear some description in Spanish, including pricing, names, dates, and/or requested image size by client. These envelopes have been retained and are placed near the images in the collection. Although the collection is not a complete representation of the body of work created by Enrique Romero Olivas, who was born in 1934 and died in 2006, it offers a snapshot of the artist’s production and his diverse clientele from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, and particularly showcases his portraits of babies and children.

The collection is arranged into three series: Photographs (1968-1994), Negatives (ca. 1980-1995), and Paintings (Undated).

Series I, Photographs, consists of over 800 printed color photographs. It includes a wide range of portraits, especially images of babies and children. Some photographs are paired with envelopes they were previously stored in. Each envelope and its contents are kept together as a unit and are separated by tan-colored dividers.

Series II, Negatives, consists of over 7,000 color negatives. It includes a wide range of portraits, especially images of babies, children, and adults. Some negatives are paired with envelopes they were previously stored in. Each envelope and its contents are kept together as a unit and are separated by paper.

Series III, Paintings, consists of 14 paintings, including 13 pastel paintings on canvas and one painting on wood. Portraits of adults, couples, and families are seen in this series.