Collection consists primarily of photostats and photocopies of a broad range of historical documents, reports, and publications from the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain, and Biblioteca Nacional in Mexico City, and the Bibloteca Archignasio Mezzofanti-Manoscritti in Bologna, Italy. Bloom's correspondence regarding the acquisition of these materials are included. The collection contains approx. 1100 index cards with entries of FRanciscan missionaries to New Mexico from pre-1691 to 1851. Collection also includes a photocopy and English translation of a 1603 report on the activities of Fray Alonso Benavides in New Mexico. The 1928 research notes of Dr. S.H. Bemis from his work with facsimiles of Spanish archives at the Library of Congress are also included.