I don’t recall exactly how it all transpired as I write this nearly 40 years after it happened. I was in Managua in July of 1987 visiting some old friends and seeing how the Sandinista Revolution had been progressing since I left in 1985. I was keen to see some black coral. I had documented the black coral trade on Nicaragua’s Corn Island a few years earlier, but wanted to see some more.

I really don’t know if I wanted to buy some or document the industry, which could be seen as being destructive to coral reefs.

There was some kind of a tourism information center. Nicaragua wasn’t exactly bursting with tourists as it was still sort of at war with the US-back Contras. But there were some visitors, namely revolution tourists. I asked about black coral and they said there was a bit of a ‘factory’ nearby. I took a hike and found the address. It pretty much looked like someone’s home to me. I pounded on a fence door and a little boy came. I asked about black coral and he led me to the back.

Indeed it was a factory. Three men were sitting around a table with grinding wheels and drills and making jewelry. I really don’t know what I did to gain their confidence. I think I just said I was keen to learn how they make the jewelry and they told me all about it. Nice guys. The children of the home were curious and watched me shoot and chat so I shot pics of them as well.

We got to talking and they said how things were better in the Somoza era. They didn’t have kind words for the Sandinistas. But that was the Sandinista Revolution in a nutshell. There were lots of growing pains and many city people, or jewelry makers, might be worse off, particularly with the US economic blockade and loss of tourism.

I don’t think I walked away with any black coral jewelry on that day but I got a nice insight to post-revolutionary life in Managua.