TIJUANA – A collection of items and images are on exhibit here of the iconic artist who became a symbol to the generations of disillusioned Mexicans who immigrated to the United States searching for work.

The artist, Germán Valdés, is better known as the character Tin Tán, from the golden era of Mexican cinema, 1942 to 1955.

Valdes's figure transcended his films and he became an archetype: The flamboyant "pachuco" who readily joked in Spanglish and dressed in baggy pants, a long watch chain hanging from his pocket, oversized jacket with wide shoulder pads, a giant tie and a feathered hat.

"Tin Tán was the first Mexican of the 21st century," wrote the late Mexican writer Carlos Monsiváis.

The exhibit, titled "Tin Tán: The artist, pachucho and man," opened Friday at that Museum of the Californias at the Tijuana Cultural Center, or Cecut.

The first part is a series of photographs of the comic's finest cinematic moments and the second half displays original suits he used in his films, his "green card" and more than 100 documents that analyzed the impact his character had, explained Rosalía Valdés, the artist's daughter and curator of the exhibit.

She said that the third part of the exhibit, dedicated to the man behind the artist, is made up of a series of letters he wrote to his third and last wife, Rosalía Julián, in addition to photos of his family at home and on the road.

Most of the items belong to the family. All she had to do for the exhibit is obtain a few documents and studies written about her father.

The exhibit first came together in 2008, when the International Film Festival in Guadalajara presented a tribute to the artist and his family had to unearth photographs and other items to accompany the screening of his films.

Afterward, leading museums and institutions began to ask for the collection. She saw it as a new appreciation of the artist "who never betrayed his country."

"Tin Tán never lost his essence of a character of the border; in fact, he valued his language and being a true Mexican, someone who – even though he crossed the border – kept his roots," she said. "Over time, people recognized this."

"His artistic work was very much ahead of his time," added the daughter, who also wrote a book about her father, "La historia inédita de Tin Tán" ("The Unpublished History of Tin Tán) and is planning to publish a collection of his sayings by year's end.

She said that organizing the exhibit was bittersweet.

"I have laughed out loud but at times I also cried," she said. Some cherished items "I wanted to save just for me."

Valdés, who lived from 1915 to 1973, made more than 100 films in Mexico, making him the king of comedy. In his films, he dances the mambo, rumba and cha cha chá; sings boleros, kisses all the women, and fights with his fists, or at times with a sword.

His long filmography includes hits in his heyday such as "El rey del barrio,"

"Calabacitas tiernas," "Músico, poeta y loco" and "Me traes de un ala." By the 1960s, however, his character was overexposed and had lost much of his luster.

With time, however, prominent writers as well as popular rock bands in Mexico, such as Café Tacuba and La Maldita Vecindad, rediscovered him and the music in his movies, recording new versions of it.

"My father used to say that his greatest satisfaction was not awards or tributes but to make people laugh," his daughter said. "That's what inspired us to open up the old chests where we had everything under lock and key, for the chance for people to enjoy him again."

Where to see itStarting June 24, "Tin Tán: The Artist, Pachucho and Man" will be on exhibit free or charge for three months at the Museum of the Californias at the Centro Cultural Tijuana (Cecut), in the Río zone. More information in Spanish is available at www.cecut.gob.mx.