"Two exquisite arches . . . formed a canopy over a fluted shell supported by a pair of Persian caryatids. Beneath the shell, the Image of the Virgin of Guadalupe rested on her canopied throne. Steps covered in silk descended from the throne, and pennants of colored taffeta embellished the ensemble . . . . On the bottom step leading up to the throne knelt an exquisite young girl clad in indigenous finery who symbolized all of America, and, even more...