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Ediciones Botas Pictorial Collection

 Collection
Identifier: PICT-2004-006

Scope and Content

The Ediciones Botas Pictorial Collection is comprised of book covers, original book cover art, illustrations, technical drawings, manuscripts, and photographs related to the Mexican book publisher Ediciones Botas from the years 1916 to 1967.

Series 1: Digital book covers

Series 1 is comprised of 149 digital book covers published between 1916 and 1967. Covers of the physical books, which have been catalogued and preserved in CSWR’s special collections, were scanned and uploaded to New Mexico’s Digital Collections. The book covers represent graphic art for fiction and non-fiction titles. Many of the books deal with themes of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Cover artists' signatures include: Monte Negro, J. Blacio, Acav., Antonio Casero, F. A. G., and T. A. O. F.

Series 2: Book illustrations

Series 2 is comprised of original book illustrations by Apolo and a set of illustrations for the manuscript El Tarzan Yucateca by Demitrio Medina B. It contains 69 pieces.

Series 3: Clip art and logos

Series 3 is comprised of original clip art and logos used by Ediciones Botas between 1916 and 1967. It contains 87 pieces.

Series 4: Original book cover art

Series 4 is comprised of original book cover art by various artists, including drawings, prints, and mock-ups. It contains 312 pieces.

Series 5: Photographs and manuscripts

Series 5 is comprised of photographs from specific books published by Ediciones Botas, as well as annotated photographs and some manuscript materials. It contains 128 pieces.

Series 6: Printed book covers

Series 6 is comprised of 98 printed book covers. Many of these covers are from books represented in series 1 on New Mexico’s Digital Collections.

Series 7: Small drawings of book covers and small illustrations

Series 7 is comprised of small cards (most approximately 5 x 6 inches) with drawings of book covers and a few other illustrations. It contains 120 pieces.

Series 8: Technical illustrations by F. A. G.

Series 8 is comprised of technical illustrations by the artist F. A. G. for Ediciones Botas textbooks and other publications. It contains 89 pieces.

Dates

  • 1916-1967

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Copy Restrictions

Duplication of print and photographic material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for copyright compliance. For more information see the Photographs and Images Research Guide and contact the Pictorial Archivist.

History

The Ediciones Botas Pictorial Collection contains book covers, cover art, illustrations, manuscripts, and other materials from the prominent Mexican book publisher, Ediciones Botas. These materials reveal historical and aesthetic trends from the early to mid-twentieth-century within Mexican culture, society, and book publishing practices. Discussing the research value of the published book covers, Wendy Louise Pedersen writes, “The Editorial Botas book covers are important examples of twentieth-century Mexican graphic art, which exhibit an orientation toward populism, modernism, and the aesthetics of the nation’s indigenous artistic patrimony” (Pedersen, 33).

Describing the origins and life of Ediciones Botas, Pedersen writes:

Spaniard Andres Botas immigrated to Mexico from his native Spain in the late nineteenth century. He had earlier established a large tobacco plantation in Cuba, and a tobacco shop in Mexico City. There were very few publishing houses in Mexico at the time; moreover, there was no paper industry and high tariffs made the production of books economically impractical. Most books were imported from Spain and other European countries, with a smaller number sent by the more establish publishing of Argentina and Chile (Loyo 1988). According to family interviews (Zahar Vergara 1995), a friend of Botas in Barcelona had exported several cartons of books to Mexico City and the importers were unable to claim the goods. Botas was asked to intervene in his friend’s situation and sell the books, which he manages to do with ease. In 1907, reflecting this success, the cigar store became a bookstore, the Libreria Botas.

In 1916, Botas’ son, Gabriel, arrived from Cuba to take over the business operations of the bookstore. The Mexican Revolution, which was still underway at this time, created conditions favorable to publishing through reduction of tariffs and the adoption of a sustained effort toward national literacy. Don Gabriel organized literary circles and began the publishing venture that became Editorial Botas, bringing out works from many distinguished Mexican novelists and thinkers of the day. Well-known graphic artists were contracted to produce eye-catching covers, some of which were signed and others not. The house actively published literary and philosophical works, often of a sharply nationalist bent, as well as legal textbooks. When Don Gabriel died in 1968, responsibility for the publishing house passed to his son, Andres. The younger Andres Botas was a practicing attorney with little interest in the family’s publishing activities, which dwindled to a single criminology journal before ceasing altogether in 1973. The bookstore remains in the hands of the founder’s great grandchildren, who have expressed interest in reissuing some of the classic works under the Botas imprint (Zahar Vergara 1975). (Pedersen, 35-36)

Pedersen, Wendy Louise. 2001. “Artifact, Preservation, and Access: UNM’s Editorial Botas Book Covers Collection.” Collection Management 26(2): 31- 40.

Extent

1150 items (7 boxes) : approximately 900 pictorial works, 5 manuscript items, 149 digital images

Abstract

The Ediciones Botas Pictorial Collection is comprised of book covers, original book cover art, illustrations, technical drawings, manuscripts, and photographs related to the Mexican book publisher Ediciones Botas.

Arrangement

The materials in the collection have been arranged into 8 series according to the creator’s original organization.

Series 1: Digital book covers

Series 2: Book illustrations

Series 3: Clip art and logos

Series 4: Original book cover art

Series 5: Photographs and manuscripts

Series 6: Printed book covers

Series 7: Small drawings of book covers and small illustrations

Series 8: Technical illustrations by F. A. G.

Physical Location

B2. Shelved by Pictorial Number. Oversized boxes shelved in Big Box location by Pictorial Number. Digital-only portions of the collection available on New Mexico Digital Collections.

Images Available Online

The entire first series of the Ediciones Botas Pictorial Collection, digital book covers, is available online via New Mexico’s Digital Collections.

Creator

Title
Finding Aid of the Ediciones Botas Pictorial Collection, 1940
Status
Completed
Author
Pictorial Collections Staff
Date
© 2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English
Sponsor
Funding provided by the University of New Mexico Libraries, Center for Regional Studies.

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451