Latin American and Iberian Studies

Stanford University Libraries holds a rich set of collections documenting cultural and political life in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula as well as the lives of authors and historical figures who were born in Latin American countries and then later immigrated to the United States.

Current collections in this field include James Bryan Christie's This otherwise miserable land : typescript, 1958. (M0180), Luis Leal Papers (M0761), Francis B. Loomis (Francis B.) Papers, 1897-1939 (M0096), Edward Lee Plumber Papers, 1858-1912 (M0149), Juan B. Rael's Alabados (religious songs) and folk and nativity plays of Mexico, New Mexico, Colorado and Colombia, 1869-1949 (M0141), the Romance language collection, 1678-1923 (M0128), the Placido Vega Papers, 1855-1864 (M0098), and the Mary Wilhelmine Williams Papers, 1911-1943 (M0047).

A notable collection in this area is the Fernando Alegría Papers (M1032) [xml] [html], which document the long and vibrant literary, political, and teaching career of Stanford Professor Emeritus Fernando Alegría, who served as Cultural Attaché to the United States from the government of Chilean President Salvador Allende until the overthrow and assassination of Allende by CIA-trained operatives which ushered in the brutal dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. Alegría found himself stranded in the United States after the coup where he received political asylum, though he did not let his physical isolation from Chile deter him from actively participating in the literary life of his home country and the rest of Latin America.

Another notable collection is the Felipe Ehrenberg Papers (M1218) [xml] [html], which document the career of one of the most creative literary and cultural figures from Mexico during the late 20th and early 21st Centuries.

Image left: Felipe Ehrenberg, Codex Aeroscriptus Ehrenbergensis. Atlanta: Nexus Press, 1990. Reproduced with permission from the artist.

Another set of collections rich in graphic imagery from Mexico include the José Guadalupe Posada Prints, ca. 1875-1913 [xml] [html] and the Taller de Gráfica Popular materials, including the Printer's blocks (Mss Prints 0070), the Mexican life; graphic masterpieces depicting the life and people of Mexico : portfolio of eight prints (Mss Prints 0059), and Mexican people : lithographs, 1946 (M1204).

Roberto Trujillo, the Frances and Charles Field Curator of Special Collections, holds primary responsibility for building these collections. Curator Adan Griego also plays an active role in the selection of manuscript collections that fall into this area. For a fuller description of Mr. Griego's current collecting activities, please refer to the Latin American and Iberian Collections home page.

Image at bottom right: Leopoldo Méndez, Concierto sinfónico de calaveras (Symphonic Concert of Skeletons), 1943. Woodcut engraving, 7 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. Edition: 76/100.