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A Guide to Latin American Special Collections at the GRI

An introduction to the research materials and collections at the Getty Research Institute related to the art and cultural histories of Latin America from the colonial period to the present-day.

Monographs and Essays

This subsection consists of general history books and other texts on subjects ranging from politics to natural history. Materials are organized in three groups: Histories, Natural Histories and Sciences, and Politics and Government.  

For materials more closely related to the history of religious institutions, click here.

To return to the section overview, click here
 

El Archiduque Maximiliano de Austria en Méjico : historia de los acontecimientos ocurridos en el territorio de Méjico, desde que los españoles desembarcaron en Veracruz formando alianza con los franceses é ingleses, hasta la muerte del infortunado Emperador Maximiliano I / por Martin de las Torres. [1867]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: Martin de las Torres
  • Illustrations: Landscape and views, maps, people

Beautés de l'histoire du Mexique, ou, Époques remarquables, traits intéressans, moeurs, usages, coutumes des indigènes et des conquérans, depuis les tems les plus reculés jusqu'a ce jour / par A. Dillon [1822]

  • Related to: Mexico 
  • Illustrations: Landscapes and views, people
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

El Chileno instruido en la historia topográfica civil y política de su país / obra escrita por el Rdo P. Fr. José Javier Guzman del Orden Serafico de N.P.S Francisco. [1834-1836]

  • Related to: Chile
  • Relevant Contributor: José Javier Guzmán y Lecaros 

Il costume antico e moderno, o, storia del governo, della milizia, della religione, delle arti, scienze ed usanze di tutti i popoli antichi e moderni, provata coi monumenti dell'antichità e rappresentata cogli analoghi disegni dal dottor Giulio Ferrario : America. [1826-1828]

  • Related to: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
  • Relevant Contributor: Giulio Ferrario
  • Illustrations: People
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Étude géographique, statistique, descriptive et historique des États Unis Mexicains / par Antoine García Cubas ; ouvrage publié par ordre du Ministere des travaux publics. [1889]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: Antonio García Cubas

The geographical, natural, and civil history of Chili / translated from the original Italian of the Abbe Don J. Ignatius Molina ; to which are added, notes from the Spanish and French versions, and two appendixes, by the English editor ; the first, an Account of the Archipelago of Chiloe, from the Descripcion historial of P.F. Pedro Gonzalez de Agueros ; the second, an Account of the native tribes who inhabit the southern extremity of South America, extracted chiefly from Falkner's description of Patagonia. [1809]

  • Related to: Chile
  • Relevant Contributors: Juan Ignacio Molina, Pedro González de Agüeros, Thomas Falkner

Histoire de la Colombie / par M. Lallement. [1826]

  • Related to: Colombia, Venezuela
  • Relevant Contributor: Guillaume Lallement

Histoire des Chichmèques on des anciens rois de Tezcuco, par Don Fernando d'Alva Ixtlilxochitl, tr. sur le manuscrit espagnol ... inédite. [1840] 

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: Fernando de Alva Cortés Ixlilxóchitl
  • Not digitized

Historia de Chile / por Mr. César Famin, agente consular, individuo de varias sociedades, científicas, etc.; traducida al castellano por los editores del Guardia Nacional. [1839]

  • Related to: Chile
  • Relevant Contributor: César Famin
  • Illustrations: Architecture and urbanism, flora and fauna, landscapes and views, people
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Historia de la conquista de Méjico : con un bosquejo preliminar de la civilización de los antiguos mejicanos, y la vida del conquistador Hernando Cortés / escrita en inglés por Guillermo H. Prescott ... ; traducida al castellano por d. José María González de la Vega ... y anotada por d. Lucas Alamán. [1844]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributors: José María de la Vega, Lucas Alamán, William H. Prescott
  • Illustrations: Archaeology and antiquities, landscapes and views, maps, people

Historia de la marina real española. [1854]

  • Related to: Antigua, Bahamas, the Caribbean, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Florida, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico
  • Relevant Contributors: José Ferrer de Couto, José March, Vicente Urrabieta
  • Illustrations: Landscapes and views, people, portraits
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Historia, geografía y estadística del Estado de Tamaulipas / por el c. ingeniero Alejandro Prieto ; obra adicionada de algunos artículos descriptivos y otros concernientes a las mejoras materiales proyectadas en aquel estado. [1873]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: Alejandro Prieto
  • Illustrations: Archaeology and antiquities, landscapes and views, maps

Historia física y política de Chile según documentos adquiridos en esta republica durante doce años de residencia en ella y publicada bajo los auspicios del supremo gobierno / por Claudio Gay. [1844-1871]

  • Related to: Chile
  • Relevant Contributors: Claude Gay, Ivan Murray Johnston

Historical researches on the conquest of Peru, Mexico, Bogota, Natchez, and Talomeco, in the thirteenth century by the Mongols, accompanied with elephants / by John Ranking

  • Related to: Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States of America
  • Relevant Contributor: John Ranking
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books 

The history, civil and commercial, of the British colonies in the West Indies / by Bryan Edwards [1801]

  • Related to: Barbados, The Caribbean, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Vincent, Puerto Rico
  • Relevant Contributors: Bryan Edwards, William Young
  • Illustrations: Maps, people
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

The history of Mexico: collected from Spanish and Mexican historians, from manuscripts and ancient paintings of the Indians [1807]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributors: Francisco Javier Clavijero
  • Illustrations: Archaeology and antiquities, flora and fauna, people
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

A history of the Brazil : comprising its geography, commerce, colonization, aboriginal inhabitants, &c. &c. &c. / by James Henderson, recently from South America [1821]

  • Related to: Brazil
  • Relevant Contributor: James Henderson
  • Illustrations: Architecture and urbanism, landscapes and views, maps, people

History of the island of St. Domingo: from its first discovery by Columbus to the present period. [1824]

  • Related to: The Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Haiti
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

A history of the West Indies : containing the natural, civil, and ecclesiastical history of each island : with an account of the missions instituted in those islands, from the commencement of their civilization, but more especially of the missions which have been established in that archipelago by the society late in connexion with the Rev. John Wesley / by Thomas Coke. [1808-1811]

  • Related to: Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, the Caribbean, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, Virgin Islands
  • Relevant Contributor: Thomas Coke

Lima: esquisses historiques, statistiques, administratives, commerciales et morales / par Manuel A. Fuentes, avocat des tribunaux du Pérou, et membre de quelques sociétés savantes. [1866]

  • Related to: Peru
  • Relevant Contributor: Manuel Atanasio Fuentes
  • Illustrations: Architecture and urbanism, people

Mexico / by H.G. Ward, His Majesty's charge d'affaires in that country during the years 1825, 1826, and in part of 1827 ; in two volumes. [1829] 

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: Henry George Ward
  • Illustrations: Landscapes and views

México a través de los siglos : historia general y completa del desenvolvimiento social, político, religioso, militar, artístico, científico y literario de México desde la antigüedad más remota hasta la época actual ... / publicada bajo la dirección del general Vicente Riva Palacio ; [y escrita por] Juan de Dios Arias ... [et al]. [1888-1889]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributors: Alfredo Chavero, Enrique de Olavarría y Ferrari, José María Vigil, Juan de Dios Arias, Julio Zárate, Vicente Riva Palacio
  • Illustrations: Archaeology and antiquities, architecture and urbanism, flora and fauna, landscapes and views, maps, people

Le Mexique ancien et moderne / par Michel Chevalier, membre de l'institut. [1864]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: Michel Chevalier

The present state of Peru: comprising its geography, topography, natural history, mineralogy, commerce, the customs and manners of its inhabitants, the state of literature, philosophy, and the arts, the modern travels of the missionaries in the heretofore unexplored mountainous territories [1805]

  • Related to: Peru
  • Relevant Contributor: Joseph Skinner
  • Illustrations: People
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

The Republic of Mexico in 1876: a political and ethnographical division of the population, character, habits, costumes and vocations of its inhabitants / written in Spanish by Antonio García Cubas ; translated into English by George F. Henderson [1876]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: Antonio García Cubas
  • Illustrations: People
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books 

Reseña histórica de la pintura mexicana en los siglos XVII y XVIII. [1953]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: Rafael Lucio
  • Not digitized - Edition published in 1953

Archives de la Commission scientifique du Mexique / publiées sous les auspices du Ministère de l'instruction publique. [1865-1867]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Illustrations: Archaeology and antiquities, maps, scientific drawings

Biologia Centrali-Americana, or, Contributions to the knowledge of the fauna and flora of Mexico and Central America. Archaeology / by A.P. Maudslay ; appendix by J.T. Goodman ; edited by F. Ducane Godman and Osbert Salvin. [1889-1902]

  • Related to: Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico
  • Relevant Contributors: Ada Hunter, Alfred Percival Maudslay, Frederick DuCane Godman, Osbert Salvin, William Griggs
  • Illustrations: Archaeology and antiquities, maps

Catalogue of the exhibition, called modern Mexico : containing a panoramic view of the city, with specimens of the natural history of New Spain , and models of the vegetable produce, costume, &c. &c. : now open for public inspection at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly / by W. Bullock, F.L.S. &c. &c. [1824]

  • Related to: Mexico 
  • Relevant Contributor: William Bullock

Élémens de géographie et d'histoire : contenant les principes d'astronomie, de physique et d'histoire naturelle, la France ancienne et sa nouvelle division en 108 départemens, préfectures et sous-préfectures: a l'usage des jeunes personnes de l'un et de l'autre sexe / par Burel, instituteur. [1804]

  • Section Relevant to Latin America: Part Two, Article XXIV
  • Illustrations: Maps
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Geografía física de la República de Chile / par A. Pissis, caballero de la Légion de Honor, miembro de la Universidad, y jefe de la Comisión Topográfica de Chile. [1875]

  • Related to: Chile
  • Relevant Contributor: Pierre Joseph Aimé Pissis

L'amour aux colonies : singularités physiologiques et passionnelles, observées durant trente annés de séjour dans les colonies françaises, Cochinchine, Tonkin et Cambodge, Guyane et Martinique, Sénégal et Rivières du Sud, Nouvelle Calédonie, Nouvelle Hébrides et Tahiti / par le docteur Jacobus X [1893]

  • Related to: The Caribbean, Guyana, Martinique

Memoria acerca de los terrenos de Metlaltoyuca : [presentada al Ministerio de Fomento por la Comisión exploradora presidida por el ingeniero D. Ramón Almaraz]. [1866]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributors: Antonio García y Cubas, Guillermo Hay, Ramón Almaraz

Memoria, elevada por la comisión topográfica al supremo gobierno de la República Oriental del Uruguay por conducto del Exmo. Sr. Ministro de Hacienda proponiendo varias reformas y mejoras en los edificios públicos de la capital con arreglo á los diferentes informes planos y dictámenes especiales que ha presentado y producido el ingeniero vocal de ella arquitecto de obras públicas / D. Carlos Zucchi. [1837]

  • Related to: Uruguay
  • Relevant Contributors: Carlos Zucchi, José María Reyes, Teodoro Schuster

Wild scenes in South America, or, Life in the Llanos of Venezuela / by Ramon Paez. [1862]

  • Related to: Venezuela
  • Relevant Contributor: Ramón Páez
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna, landscapes and views