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Gillman, El Documental at the seafront auditorium in Águilas

British engineer Gustavo Gillman (1856-1922) was, by all accounts, an impressive man in many respects. Described by his contemporaries as elegant, sociable, methodical and highly scientific, he also had an unerring eye for beauty and aesthetic qualities, and took a great interest in photography.

This hobby made his photographs a superb source of historical documentation for the 25-year period during which he lived in Águilas, from 1889 to 1914, but this is by no means his most important legacy to the town. He came to Spain under contract with the Great Southern of Spain Railway Company Limited to oversee construction of the Murcia – Granada railway line and its branch line to Águilas, and within Águilas was responsible for the construction of the iconic Hornillo loading jetty, where iron ore mined in the mountains inland was loaded onto ships for transport all over Europe.

He set up home in Águilas and his four youngest children were born in the town, and even now the frequent guided tours of the railway infrastructures are usually named after his contribution to the town’s prosperity and growth in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Fortunately, some of his photographs have been incorporated into a documentary film, which is being screened on 16^th May at 20.30 at the Auditorio Infanta Doña Elena. A great opportunity to learn more about the extraordinary life and achievements of this remarkable individual and the effect he had on a small coastal town in south-eastern Spain! Although the film is mainly biographical, some speculative and fictional elements have been added to add interest to the story, but in the main this is a true historical account.

Admission to the screening is free of charge.

For more local events, news and visiting information, contact the tourist office of Águilas (telephone 968 493285) or go to the home page of Águilas Today.

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