THEATRO AMERICANO, DESCRIPCION GENERAL DE LOS REYNOS, Y PROVINCIAS DE LA NUEVA-ESPAÑA, Y SUS JURISDICCIONES.

Villa-Señor y Sanchez, José Antonio

Verlag: En la Imprenta de la Viuda de D. Joseph Bernardo de Hogal, Mexico City, 1748

Two volumes. [18],232,[3],233-382,[10]; [16],428,[10]pp. Text printed in two columns. Type and woodcut decorations. Lacking engraved titlepage by Balbás, which appeared in both volumes. Titlepages printed in red and black within an elaborate ornamental typographic border. Folio. Modern calf, ruled and tooled in blind and gilt, spines gilt with raised bands, gilt morocco labels. Two early bookplates affixed to front flyleaf in both volumes. Minor worming in lower margin of first and last leaves of first volume, small tideline in upper margin of much of second volume. Very good. A handsomely bound set of this monumental and beautifully produced work on New Spain, printed by one of Mexico's great printers, the widow of José Bernardo de Hogal. "Until Humboldt's POLITICAL ESSAY ON NEW SPAIN appeared, this was considered the most important statistical account of the country that had been published" - JCB. As official Cosmographer for New Spain and Contador General for the mercury industry (Ramo de Azogues), Villa-Señor y Sanchez was uniquely suited to produce such a history and description of Mexico, and this work has long been considered one of the most reliable contemporary accounts of New Spain. In addition to providing detailed geographic information (including presence and quality of mines), brief histories, and descriptions of the different towns and provinces in the region, Villa-Señor y Sanchez also used public records and personal knowledge to make an early attempt to estimate population. The second volume describes locations in California and Texas, as well as some details of LaSalle's expedition and early details of Fernando Consag's first journey to the Colorado River. "This work was written in consequence of a royal cedula [certificate] of July 19, 1740, directed to all the chief officials of the three viceroyalties to collect reports from all the alcaldes, mayores and justicias [giving] notices of the number, and names of the different towns in their jurisdiction and of the nature, state, and progress of the missions" - Wagner. The book, with the titlepages printed in red and black with typographic ornamentation, is the work of the widow of José Bernardo de Hogal, one of colonial Mexico's greatest printers who is sometimes called "the Ibarra of New Spain." After her husband's death in 1741, Hogal continued operations and remained one of the finest and most significant printers in Mexico City until her own passing in 1755. This work was originally issued with additional (identical) engraved titlepages in both volumes, lacking in this set. Pasted to the front free endpaper of each volume in this set are the elaborate contemporary ex-libris and coat of arms of Andreas Reggio, a commander of the Spanish navy who operated in the waters near Cuba during the War of Jenkins' Ear. An important work printed by one of New Spain's most celebrated printers, with interesting contemporary provenance. WAGNER, SPANISH SOUTHWEST 118. JCB III:841. MEDINA, MEXICO 3802. DECKER 42:326. PALAU 368823 ("obra muy buscada"). SABIN 99686. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers WRCAM57869

Bibliografische Details

Titel: THEATRO AMERICANO, DESCRIPCION GENERAL DE ...
Verlag: En la Imprenta de la Viuda de D. Joseph Bernardo de Hogal, Mexico City
Erscheinungsdatum: 1748