Name/Title
Hand-made ID card holder (sleeve) made from X-ray film and tapeEntry/Object ID
2025.1.105Description
A hand-made flat sleeve or pocket for holding an identity card, rectangular in form, constructed from repurposed radiographic (X-ray) film bound with adhesive tape. The film provides the translucent, milky blue-white body of the sleeve — its cloudy, speckled, faintly mottled appearance is characteristic of processed and cleared X-ray sheet film. Two opaque blue strips of tape run down the left and right edges, forming the bound side seams that join two layers of film into an open-topped pocket; the tape edges carry a fine metallic-looking line and now show tarnish-like discoloration, corrosion, and flaking with age. The lower edge is open to receive a card; a short recessed slot appears to ease insertion and removal of the card. The object shows age-related wear — surface spotting, clouding, adhesive degradation along the taped seams — and is empty (no card present).Collection
The Cabrera Arús family collectionMaterials
Material Notes
Materials
Repurposed radiographic (X-ray) film — a polyester or cellulose-acetate film base bearing a processed (cleared) photographic emulsion; adhesive tape (blue, with metallic-look edge) forming the bound seams.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Gertrudis Caraballo GálvezNotes
ownerRelated Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
use, productionResearch Notes
Notes
A hand-made personal accessory for protecting an identity card, fabricated from repurposed X-ray film and tape. The object is a vivid example of the collection's central themes of ingenuity, reuse, and resolver — the Cuban practice of making do and improvising from salvaged materials in conditions of scarcity. Spent X-ray films were a recognized "found" material in Cuba, valued for being durable, flexible, water-resistant, and free, and were reused for a range of improvised items. (X-ray film's best-known Cuban reuse is as a medium for bootlegged music recordings, but the same sheet stock served many everyday improvised purposes such as this.)Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
December 3, 2025Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 14, 2026