Name/Title
Hand-made ID card holder (sleeve) made from X-ray film and tapeEntry/Object ID
2025.1.106Description
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 — closely comparable to the preceding holder in the collection. The film forms the translucent, milky blue-white body, its cloudy and faintly mottled surface characteristic of processed and cleared X-ray sheet film. Yellow adhesive tape binds the two vertical side edges and the bottom edge, joining two layers of film into a pocket that is open along the top to receive a card. A short recessed slot is visible toward the lower center, with fine diagonal score or fold lines running down to the lower corners, and the taped lower edge shows a slight central dip. The tape is discolored, soiled, and degrading with age, with staining along the seams. The holder is empty (no card present).Collection
The Cabrera Arús family collectionMaterials
Material Notes
Materials
Repurposed radiographic (X-ray) film — polyester or cellulose-acetate film base bearing a processed (cleared) emulsion; yellow adhesive tape forming the bound seams.
Technique
Hand fabrication: two pieces of X-ray film cut to size and joined along the sides and bottom with tape to form a top-opening pocket. An example of improvised manufacture from salvaged materials.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Gertrudis Caraballo GálvezNotes
ownerRelated Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
useResearch Notes
Notes
A hand-made identity-card holder of repurposed X-ray film and tape, evidently made by the same hand or in the same manner as the preceding holder in the collection, differing chiefly in the tape used (yellow here, blue on the companion) and in being taped on three edges rather than two. Like its companion, it exemplifies the collection's themes of ingenuity, reuse, and resolver — improvising durable, useful objects from salvaged materials under conditions of scarcity in Cuba. Spent X-ray film was a recognized free, durable, flexible "found" material reused for many everyday purposes. The pair suggests a household or individual who made more than one such holder, which is itself worth noting as evidence of a personal practice rather than a one-off. The specific document held — likely a Cuban carné de identidad — is not confirmed.Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
December 3, 2025Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 14, 2026