The Luso-Hispanic World

This catalogue gathers seven manuscripts and ninety-seven books spanning the 16th-20th centuries, with the aim of showing the outstanding geographical extension reached by the colonial affairs of Spain and Portugal during the Early Modern Period. In bibliographical terms, the printed books on this list are one rarer than the other, and a few of them are almost unique. They wish to represent the Luso-Hispanic world in all its facets and diversity, which has literally colonised the four corners of the world, as the title of the catalogue has it. Indeed, these books come from nearly everywhere. They were printed in Latin America, Europe, Central and East Asia, Oceania, and Africa; mostly in Spanish and Portuguese, but also in other European languages. Several items deserve a special mention. However, for the sake of brevity, we would like to point out one of them in particular: item no. 22 in the Printed Books section. The great collector and bibliographer Genaro García (1867-1920) defined it “one of the rarest Mexican works”. He added also that “the work is of inestimable value due to the vast and precious collection of supporting documents contained in it, and it constitutes the best material that can be found for the history of the cooperation of Mexico in the Independence of Central America.” This said, only two complete copies of it can be located today in public collection worldwide, at the British Library and García’s copy in the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection of the University of Texas at Austin.

This catalogue gathers seven manuscripts and ninety-seven books spanning the 16th20th centuries, with the aim of showing the outstanding geographical extension reached by the colonial affairs of Spain and Portugal during the Early Modern Period.

In bibliographical terms, the printed books on this list are one rarer than the other, and a few of them are almost unique. They wish to represent the Luso-Hispanic world in all its facets and diversity, which has literally colonised the four corners of the world, as the title of the catalogue has it. Indeed, these books come from nearly everywhere. They were printed in Latin America, Europe, Central and East Asia, Oceania, and Africa; mostly in Spanish and Portuguese, but also in other European languages.

Several items deserve a special mention. However, for the sake of brevity, we would like to point out one of them in particular: item no. 22 in the Printed Books section. The great collector and bibliographer Genaro García (1867-1920) defined it “one of the rarest Mexican works”. He added also that “the work is of inestimable value due to the vast and precious collection of supporting documents contained in it, and it constitutes the best material that can be found for the history of the cooperation of Mexico in the Independence of Central America.” This said, only two complete copies of it can be located today in public collection worldwide, at the British Library and García’s copy in the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection of the University of Texas at Austin.