A few steps from the Gran Vía, in what was number 42 on San Bernardo street, the master craftsman Juan José Araque Ruiz and his wife, Juana Blanco, opened their frame and molding workshop in 1916. , developing a trade that at that time was completely handmade and meticulous. The establishment, like many others of the time, had a back room that served as the home of the owners, and a vaulted basement that functioned as a storeroom, which, in this case, was used to store the carved wood and craft tools. worked. Later, in the Civil War, it served as a refuge during air raids. Both rooms, to this day, continue to be preserved in perfect condition. Over the years, Joaquín Araque Blanco, the fourth of the couple's children, took over the business, taking care of maintaining good work in the framing trade. In 1975 he opened another establishment with the same characteristics. Thanks to his tenacity, this way of working by hand has been passed down from generation to generation.

Currently, the business is owned by both his children Joaquín and Ana María Araque, as well as his grandson, Héctor López Araque, great-grandson of the founder. During all these years they have manufactured frames for museums and other institutions, for decorators, painters, large companies and the general public, being the only establishment of the trade that has managed to reach one hundred years. The Araque family changed its name to Cuadros Mariam and its location to Calle Fermín Caballero, 75.