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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.

Detail of [Trees and fruits grown in Brazil]. From Johan Nieuhof, Gedenkweerdige Brasiliaense Zee-en-Lant-Reize, 1640–1649 (Amsterdam, 1682), between pp. 200 and 201. Getty Research Institute, 84-B22312

Natural Histories and Sciences

This subsection consists of written works dealing with the study, analysis, and documentation of the natural environment. Materials are listed in alphabetical order.

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Curiositez de la nature et de l'art: aportées dans deux voyages des Indes: l'un aux Indes d'Occident en 1698. & 1699. & l'autre aux Indes d'Orient en 1701. & 1702: avec une relation abrégée de ces deux voyages. [1703]

  • Related to: The Caribbean, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique 
  • Relevant Contributor: Claude Biron
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna

Descripción de diferentes piezas de historia natural las más del ramo marítimo: representadas en setenta y cinco láminas / su autor don Antonio Parra. [1787]

  • Related to: The Caribbean, Cuba
  • Relevant Contributors: Antonio Parra y Callado, Manuel Antonio Parra y Muñoz
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna, people
  • Not digitized

Description géographique de la Guiane. [1763]

  • Related to: French Guiana, Guyana
  • Relevant Contributor: Jacques Nicolas Bellin
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna, maps
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Elementa recentioris philosophiae : ex melioris notae recentioribus philosophis, excerptum, congestum, adornatum / opera et studio Johann Benedicti Diaz de Gamarra & Davalos. [1774]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: Juan Benito Díaz de Gamarra

Histoire naturelle et morale des iles Antilles de l'Amerique : enrichie de plusieurs belles figures des raretés les plus considerables qui y sont d'écrites : avec un vocabulaire caraibe. [1658]

  • Related to: Antigua, Barbados, the Caribbean, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Relevant Contributors: César de Rochefort, Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, Raymond Breton
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna, people
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Historia naturalis Brasiliae : auspicio et beneficio illustriss. I. Mauriti Com. Nassau illius provinciae et maris summi praefecti adornata : in qua non tantum plantae et animalia, sed et indigenarum morbi, ingenia et mores describuntur et iconibus supra quingentas illustrantur. [1648]

  • Related to: Brazil
  • Relevant Contributors: Georg Marcgraf, Joannes de Laet, Willem Piso
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna

Historia natural y moral de las Indias [1606]

  • Related to: Mexico, Peru
  • Relevant Contributor: José de Acosta

Historia natural civil y geográfica de las naciones situadas en las riberas del río Orinoco. Su autor el padre Joseph Gumilla. [1791]

  • Related to: Colombia, Venezuela
  • Relevant Contributor: Joseph Gumilla
  • Illustrations: People
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Ioannis Eusebii Nierembergii Madritensis ex Societate Iesu ... Historia naturae, maxime peregrinae, libris XVI. distincta: in quibus rarissima naturae arcana, etiam astronomica, & ignota Indiarum animalia, ... plantae, metalla, lapides & alia mineralia, fluuiorumq́ue & elementorum conditiones, etiam cum proprietatibus medicinalibus, describuntur ... : accedunt de miris & miraculosis naturis in Europâ libri duo, item de iisdem in terrâ Hebraeis promissâ liber vnus. [1635]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributors: Christoffel Jegher, Juan Eusebio Nieremberg
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna

Journal des observations physiques, mathématiques et botaniques : faites par l'ordre du roi sur les côtes orientales de l'Amerique méridionale, & dans les Indes Occidentales, depuis l’année 1707 jusqu' en 1712 / par le R.P. Louis Feuillée, relieux minime, mathématicien, botaniste de Sa Majesté, et correspondant de l'Académie royale des sciences. [1714]

  • Related to: Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
  • Relevant Contributor: Louis Feuillée
  • Not digitized

L'histoire du Nouveau monde, ou, Description des Indes occidentales : contenant dix-huict liures / par le sieur Iean de Laet, d'Anuers ; enrichi de nouvelles tables géographiques & figures des animaux, plantes & fruits. [1640]

  • Related to: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, the Caribbean, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Florida, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Virginia
  • Relevant Contributor: Joannes de Laet
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna, maps
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Piazza universale di tutte le professioni del mondo [1601]

  • Relevant Contributor: Tomaso Garzoni
  • Section Relevant to Latin America: pp. 348–350

Le relationi vniversali / di Giovanni Botero benese, diuise in sette parti : alle quali vi sono aggiunte nuouamente i Capitani dell'istesso auttore, con le Relationi di Spagna, del Stato della Chiesa, & di Sauoia... con le figure, & due copiosissime tauole : inoltre vi s'aggiunge nell'vltimo vn breue raconto di mostri, & vsanze di quelle Indie, con le sue figure al naturale, d'Alessandro de Vecchi. [1618]

  • Relevant Contributor: Giovanni Botero
  • Sections Relevant to Latin America: pp. 28–30; part 1, vol. 1, bk. 4, 5, and 6; part 1, vol. 2, bk. III; part 4

Maison rustique, a l'usage des habitans de la partie de la France équinoxiale, connue sous le nom de Cayenne. / Par M. de Préfontaine, ancien habitant, chevalier de l'Ordre de Saint-Louis, commandant de la partie du nord de la Guyane. [1763]

  • Related to: French Guiana
  • Relevant Contributor: Nicolas Chalmandrie
  • Illustrations: Architecture and urbanism, people, plans

Maria Sybilla Meriaen Over de voortteeling en wonderbaerlyke veranderingen der Surinaemsche insecten [1719]

  • Related to: Suriname
  • Relevant Contributors: Casper Commelijn, Daniel Stoopendaal, Joseph Mulder, Maria Sibylla Merian, Pieter Sluyter
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna

Memoria sobre la naturaleza, cultivo y beneficio de la grana [...] / Joseph Antonio Alzate. [1981]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributor: José Antonio de Alzate Ramírez
  • Not digitized—Edition published in 1981

De nieuwe en onbekende weereld, of, Beschryving van America en 't zuid-land / en beschreeven door Arnoldus Montanus. [1671]

  • Related to: Argentina, Brazil, California, the Caribbean, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Florida, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela
  • Relevant Contributor: Arnoldus Montanus
  • Illustrations: Allegorical figures and iconography, flora and fauna, landscapes and views, maps, people, portraits
  • Part of Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Noticias americanas: entretenimientos phisicos-historicos, sobre la América meridional, y la septéntrianal oriental : comparacion general de los territorios, climas, y produciones en las tres especies, vegetales, animales, y minerales : con relacion particular de las petrificaciones de cuerpos marinos de los indios naturales de aquellos paises, sus costumbres, y usos : de las antiquedades ... / su autor don Antonio de Ulloa [1771]

  • Related to: Argentina, The Bahamas, Brazil, the Caribbean, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Florida, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
  • Relevant Contributor: Antonio de Ulloa
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Rerum medicarum Novae Hispaniae thesaurus, seu, Plantarum animalium mineralium Mexicanorum historia [1651]

  • Related to: Mexico
  • Relevant Contributors: Fabbio Colonna, Francisco Hernández, Nardo Antonio Recchi
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

Saggio di storia americana, o sia, Storia naturale, civile, e sacra, de regni, e delle provincie spagnuole di terra-ferma nell'America meridionale / descritta dall'abate Filippo Salvadore Gilij e consecrata alla santità di N.S. papa Pio Sesto felicemente regnante. [1780-1784]

  • Related to: Colombia, Venezuela
  • Relevant Contributor: Filippo Salvadore Gilii
  • Illustrations: Maps, people

A true & exact history of the island of Barbados [1657]

  • Related to: Barbados, the Caribbean
  • Relevant Contributors: John Ogilby, Richard Ligon
  • Illustrations: Flora and fauna, maps
  • Part of the Gutiérrez Collection of Books

 

 

 

 

 



[Trees and fruits grown in Brazil]. From Johan Nieuhof, Gedenkweerdige Brasiliaense Zee-en-Lant-Reize, 1640–1649 (Amsterdam, 1682), between pp. 200 and 201. Getty Research Institute, 84-B22312