Antiquities of Mexico, proof sheets, 1820-1848

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Summary

Title:
Antiquities of Mexico, proof sheets
Dates:
1820-1848
Abstract:
This collection contains 519 original proof sheets for Lord Kingsborough (Edward King, 1795-1837)'s landmark publication, Antiquities of Mexico: comprising fac-similes of ancient Mexican paintings and hieroglyphics, preserved in the royal libraries of Paris, Berlin and Dresden, in the Imperial library of Vienna, in the Vatican library; in the Borgian museum at Rome; in the library of the Institute at Bologna; and in the Bodleian library at Oxford. Together with the Monuments of New Spain, by M. Dupaix: with their respective scales of measurement and accompanying descriptions. The whole illustrated by many valuable inedited manuscripts, by Augustine Aglio. London: A. Aglio (Vols. 1–5), R. Havell (Vols. 6–7), H.G. Bohn (Vols. 8–9), was published between 1830-1848. Antiquities of Mexicomade available facsimiles of Mesoamerican pictorial codices, many for the first time. Kingsborough employed the Italian artist Agostino Aglio to create drawings from manuscripts held in European libraries. The first volumes appeared in 1830. Production required thousands of pounds of paper, and costs reached the tens of thousands of Pounds Sterling causing financial difficulty for both Kingsborough and Aglio. Publication contiuned until 1848, reaching nine volume, and plans for a tenth which failed to materialize before Kingsborough's death.
Language:
English Latin
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item] Antiquities of Mexicoproof sheets, M000030, Sutro Library, California State Library, San Francisco, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains 518 original, artist proof sheets for volumes 1-3 of Lord Kingsborough's published work. While voluminous, the collection is not complete. Section 2 of volume 3, "Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting, Preserved in the Royal Library at Dresden" is missing. Plates that are represented in the published work but not found in this collection are noted in each folder's description.

These lithographs were made from drawings produced by Agostino Aglio, most hand-colored. Of particular note are the many handwritten corrections and annotations frequently found on the plates in both English and Spanish. Also of interest are the many instances of visible wasted previously used to mend the badly damaged plates.

Biographical / historical:
Antiquities of MexicoAntiquities of Magna Graecia.Antiquities of Mexico,
Processing information:

The original order for the sheets was most likely numerical. In 2019, a volunteer rehoused the sheets into mylar and a student volunteer foldered and arranged the sheets to follow the published work,collating against the digital facsimile available from Harvard's Tozzer Library:

Persistent Link: https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:28188513

Description: Antiquities of Mexico

Repository: FHCL.TOZ

Institution: Harvard University

Handwritten numbers found in the upper right corner of each mylar sheet were added by Sutro Library staff for item control and should not be considered citation numbers.

The collection consists of (11) 20 x 24 inch flat boxes which replaced the previous housing of a drop spine clamshell box.

Arrangement:

The original artist proof sheets or plates are arranged to follow the order found in the final published volumes of Antiquities of Mexico by Lord Kingsborough. Each volume of the published work is listed as a series and the subseries are the codices found in each volume. The manuscript plate numbers relate to the images found in each particular codex listed below:

Series 1: Volume 1

Subseries 1: Copy of the Collection of Mendoza, Preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.

Subseries 2: Copy of the Codex Telleriano-Remensis, Preserved in the Royal Library at Paris.

Subseries 3: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Hieroglyphic Painting, From the Collection of Boturini.

Subseries 4: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting, Preserved in the Collection of Sir Thomas Bodley in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.

Subseries 5: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting, Preserved in the Selden Collection of MSS. in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.

Subseries 6: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Hieroglyphic Painting, Preserved Amongst the Selden Collection in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.

Series 2: Volume 2

Subseries 1: Copy of a Mexican MS., Preserved in the Library of the Vatican.

Subseries 2: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting Given to the University of Oxford by Archbishop Laud, and Preserved in the Bodleian Library.

Subseries 3: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting Preserved in the Library of the Institute at Bologna.

Subseries 4: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting Preserved in the Imperial Library at Vienna.

Subseries 5: Fac-similes of Original Mexican Paintings Deposited in the Royal Library at Berlin by the Baron de Humboldt, and of a Mexican Bas-Relief Preserved in the Royal Cabinet of Antiques.

Series: Volume 3

Subseries 1: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting Preserved in the Borgian Museum, at the College of Propaganda in Rome.

[Section 2 of this volumne entitled, "Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting Preserved in the Royal Library at Dresden." is missing from this collection]

Subseries 2: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting in the Possession of M. de Fejervary at Pess in Hungary.

Subseries 3: Fac-simile of an Original Mexican Painting Preserved in the Library of the Vatican.

Series 4: Miscellanous materials. This series contains three miscelleanous items, to include two unidentified proof plates.

Physical / technical requirements:

22 linear feet

Physical description:
(11) 20 x 24 inch flat boxes

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Please page materials three business days in advance of your visit by email: sutro@library.ca.gov .

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with the repository. Any applicable literary rights would reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please email sutro@library.ca.gov

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item] Antiquities of Mexicoproof sheets, M000030, Sutro Library, California State Library, San Francisco, Calif.

Location of this collection:
SFSU - J. Paul Leonard Library
1630 Holloway Ave, Room 610
San Francisco, CA 94132-4030, US
Contact:
(415) 469-6100
sutro@library.ca.gov
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