The British Library holds the largest Mexican collections in the
United Kingdom covering books, serials, manuscripts, stamps, sound
recordings, maps and newspapers. Its most outstanding Mexican holdings
include an impressive collection of early imprints, some of which
are rare works and several important named collections, which are
described in greater detail below. Humanities and Social Sciences
holds more than 17,000 titles printed in Mexico. They are research
level and cover a broad range of subjects, especially history and
literature.
The Library has impressive holdings of 46 early imprints from
the colonial period, several of which are notable for their rarity.
Many are doctrinal works, confessionals, translations of the Bible
and religious services and were printed for use by the religious
orders. The Library also holds some early grammar books, vocabularies
and catechisms compiled by proselytising Spanish friars in indigenous
languages.
Material is held also for the history of the colonial period in
Mexico, for example, viceroys' regulations etc. Of particular note
is a good representation of Mexican official publications of the
first half of the 18th century.
Books about exploration of the New World are also well represented.
The collection of political pamphlets 1810-1860 is noteworthy and
amongst them, the collection of publications from 1820 onwards documenting
the Mexican struggle for independence is impressive. It contains
works published by Iturbide, Santa Anna and Lizardi. There are more
than 300 pamphlets relating to Lizardi. It should be noted that
the British Library acquired many of these important books and pamphlets
relating to Mexico in the Fischer sale, held in Leipzig in 1869,
and in the Ramírez sale in London in 1880.
Mexican materials are also held in other parts of the Library.
In the Manuscripts Department, some of the manuscripts held are
in indigenous languages, for example, grammars and vocabularies.
But it should be noted that the manuscripts in indigenous writing
such as the Zouche codex were transferred in 1930 to the Department
of Ethnography of the British Museum, where they remain today. The
extensive Bauzá collection contains excellent Mexican maps produced
by Spanish military engineers between 1750 and 1810.
Mexico is well represented in the British Library's holdings of
stamps. For example, there is an extensive collection of 19th century
stamps which form part of the Tapling collection. A copy is held
of every stamp issued in Mexico this century.
The National Sound Archive has a broad collection of Mexican music.
There are numerous recordings ranging from indigenous music to that
of mariachis and marimbas. There is also an interesting collection
of recordings published by the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura
y las Artes recorded on Radio Education, an English radio programme.
The Mexican collections held in the Map Library reflect European
interest in Mexico. There are maps and atlases which guided the
explorers in the 16th and 17th centuries. There are maps representing
Mexico in the colonial period and also some Mexican maps which were
acquired from Alexander von Humboldt's library.
British Library Newspapers
acquires El Universal on microfilm and also there is a
long run of Excelsior. The hundred and thirty Mexican titles
have, generally, short runs or are sample copies. However, interesting
titles are held like La Orquesta (1861-1863) which spans
a significant period for the study of Mexican politics.
Historically, the Science Technology & Business purchased titles
relating to scientific specialisations of a country, for example,
volcanoes or oil in Mexico. The Library also holds a large number
of Mexican patents.
The Document Supply service has resources available for inter-library
loan for customers in the United Kingdom and world-wide. In total,
their own collections include more than one thousand five hundred
monographs relating to Mexico, mostly in English. It has access
to a network of other libraries' holdings throughout the country
for inter-library loan.
Further information
Hispanic Section
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7569
Fax: +44 (0)20 7412 7784
Email: hisp-enquiries@bl.uk
