Spring corso: How did the people of Lima celebrate these events in the 60s? Unpublished photos from the EC Archive show it

At the end of September 1962, Lima was experiencing an intense cultural activity that revolved around the arrival of spring. Groups of students were preparing for the parades and German tightrope walkers and North American waripoleras arrived in the capital to perform at the Miraflores spring corso.

The first parade was held by the Catholic University within the framework of its traditional PUCP week and, of course, celebrating the arrival of the new station.

At the end of the afternoon of September 25, 1962, the caravan of vehicles, barges and torches began in the Plaza de La Recoleta (today France), continuing through Camaná, Nicolás de Piérola and Tacna, re-entering through Huancavelica to the central location of the University. Meanwhile the trams could not make their normal route and the candy vendors took the tracks.

The audience along the way applauded the passing of the beautiful representatives of the faculties: Carmen Durand, Queen of Journalism, Fanny Maldonado, Queen of Law, Gemma Romero, Queen of Letters, Elena Gamboa, Queen of Economics, Loty Valderrama, Queen of Plastic Arts, Pilar Díaz, Queen of Education, Coca Valderrama, Queen of the Social School, Martha Carling, Queen of Civil Engineering, Hilda Gaviño, Queen of Sports, among other participants.

The floats that attracted the most attention were the buggy pulled by two horses from the Faculty of Decorative Arts and the giant calculator from the Faculty of Economics.

Tightrope walkers and waripoleras

By September 29 it still felt very cold in Lima and especially in Miraflores due to its proximity to the Costa Verde. However, this situation did not prevent entire families and young people of all ages from filling the stands that were erected along Larco Avenue.

This event was organized by the Municipality and the Chamber of Commerce of Miraflores. To liven up the atmosphere, a group of German acrobats, the Zugspitz Artisten, performed impressive balance tests on a steel cable stretched over the Principal Park (now Central Park), from the terrace of an eight-story building to Larco Avenue.

One of the tightrope walkers, blindfolded, walked along the cable causing exclamations of anguish among the spectators when on two occasions he tripped over the tempering wires, giving the impression that he might fall.

A couple of aerialists who performed risky stunts on the same cable also received great applause. Finally, three of the tightrope walkers, hanging from a motorcycle that advanced along the steel cable to stand over the park, performed difficult tests.

The suspense was enlivened by artists who performed juggling and dancing numbers. At 8:00 pm the waripoleras of the Miami Jackson Band opened the course which was followed by more than 20 floats and enlivened by military and school bands.

As was the custom, the beauty queens of social clubs in Miraflores, commercial houses and the Catholic University they were the most applauded.

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