This is a guest blog post written jointly by Yuliana Contreras-Abrego, Darian Andrade-Diaz, and Celina Lozano, Archives History Heritage Advanced (AHHA) interns working with the Communities of Practice and Publications team in the Latin American Caribbean and European Division during fall 2024.
Can you give us an overview of an AHHA project you worked on?
During our AHHA internship at the Library of Congress, we learned about various holdings and services, including the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) which gathers bibliographic references and links to more than 250,000 collection items about Latin America. This searchable online bibliographic database connects researchers and users to researcher-sourced descriptions of items in the Library’s collections. We became increasingly familiar with navigating HLAS while working on a project that involved coding HLAS essays for WordPress and establishing anchoring links for the annotated items. This process invited us to engage with multiple items on specific topics, and we learned simultaneously about shared common interests in the Mexican Revolution and visual arts. Some of what we found on these topics while working on this project demonstrates the range of subject items and varying research tools HLAS makes available to users.
Tell us a little about how each of your interests evolved during this work and what you found.
Yuliana: While creating blog tests in WordPress, I focused on references to Mexican History during the periods of Independence, Revolution, and Post-Revolution. I have always been fascinated by these periods because of the roles they played in establishing Mexican cultural iconography. Identity building comprised a huge part of my undergraduate studies in Chicana/o Studies. I wanted to learn more about Mexicans and their journey to a shared view of what made them distinct after a Revolution. The process came with a lot of changes in culture, language, and politics, and “The Social Transformation of Mexico, 1867 – 1940” focuses on all of these topics. Since I was more interested in the formation of a Mexican identity, I decided to explore art as a means of expression. I used HLAS as my point of entry for finding sources about Mesoamerica and Muralism. The Browse tab was extremely helpful for finding related sources.
Visual Storytelling: A Mesoamerican Tradition
Mexico has a long history of communicating through large-scale visual works, dating back to its early history. Wall art and other large pieces enabled Indigenous communities to document their daily lives, ceremonies, and histories. Cuadernos de Arquitectura Mesoamericana, no. 31 (1996) is composed of five articles about murals in Mesoamerica in different times and places, from early history through the post revolution. Murals of the Americas is also a great resource for diving into the political, social and religious aspects of murals in Mesoamerica and modern Mexico. HLAS contributor John Henderson notes in the annotation for this latter text that “Claudia Brittenham’s analysis of spiky multicolored serpent imagery in murals from the Temple of the Chac Mool at Chichén Itzá in northern Yucatán provides important insights into developmental relationships between Teotihuacán and Aztec iconography.” He also highlights the way Heather Hurst and colleagues work around an Olmec painting at Oxtotitlán Cave in Guerrero helps connect recent settlement pattern studies with Mesoamerica’s earliest murals, while providing insight on historic painting in practice. He adds that “Franco Rossi’s detailed analysis of images and texts painted on the walls of a residence at Xultun in Guatemala sheds light on the important and neglected question of how knowledge of writing, mathematics, calendars, and astronomy were shared throughout the classic period Maya lowlands;” with additional connections between Chicana/o and contemporary Hopi muralists in the American southwest.
Darian: One task during this internship was to create anchor links between HLAS essays and annotations in the WordPress environment. One of the articles I worked with was “Political Economy: Mexico” by contributor Pamela K. Starr. The topic of her bibliographic essay was closely related to our shared interest in art during the Mexican Revolution. When searching for supporting materials, I came across an article that discussed the importance of political cartoons during the Revolution. In this article titled “The Mexican Revolution and the Cartoon,” Victor Alba tied in the societal factor of illiteracy that I had not previously considered. His argument was that political cartoons were extremely effective in transmitting political messages of El Pueblo (the people) to those who could not read. This analysis got me thinking about how I could incorporate the idea into my section of the blog, which follows below.
![Broadside shows bust portrait of Chief of Police Miguel Cabrera juxtaposed with a scene showing a shootout involving a woman and several uniformed men in a compound. The text conveys the pre-revolutionary altercation in the city of Puebla, describing the exchange of fire between the anti re-electionist Aquiles Cerdán [i.e. Serdán] and his family with local officials--including the police and local army--on November 18, 1910.](https://blogs.loc.gov/international-collections/files/2024/11/Posada_Sangrientos_sucesos.jpg)
The Power of Caricature During the Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) was a time of profound political upheaval, social transformation, and intense public discourse in Mexico. Cartoons emerged as a powerful tool for commentary and expression which gave a voice to the common people’s concerns, frustrations, and hopes. Victor Alba, a prominent politician and journalist of the 1960s, creates a portrait of who Revolutionary cartoonists were. Alba states that, “The cartoonist, while he does not attack the president…has sought a theme which is not protected by any general taboo; the customs of the society in which he lives” (Alba 1967, 131). Artists illustrated the events and personalities of the revolution, offering sharp critiques and insights into the era’s politics. Cartoons during this period were widely popular and accessible, appearing in newspapers, pamphlets, and posters. The exaggerated characters and symbolic imagery helped make complex political issues understandable often simplifying figures like President Porfirio Díaz and revolutionary leaders such as Emiliano Zapata or Pancho Villa. Through humor and satire, cartoonists highlighted injustices, challenged corrupt authorities, and rallied the public around the cause of reform. These cartoons not only amused but also carried significant cultural and political weight. Rafael Barajas, a well-known cartoonist and journalist of the 1980s, writes about the history of political cartoons during and after the Mexican Revolution. He states, “Newspapers featuring caricature art assumed a tremendous importance within the political life of Mexico” (Barajas 2010, 81). As literacy rates were still low, the visual nature of cartoons allowed for messages to be communicated to a broad audience, including those who might not have been able to read lengthy political analyses. This form of media bridged social gaps which helped unite people around a shared understanding of the revolution’s aims and critiques. Ultimately, the role of cartoons during the Mexican Revolution shows how art and media can influence public opinion and offer commentary during times of great societal change. These drawings create historic records of the people’s resistance, creativity, and resilience, marking the power of visual storytelling in shaping a nation’s consciousness.
Celina: While working with HLAS in WordPress, I was introduced to the artist José Clemente Orozco. As a former undergraduate student who minored in art history, I did not get the opportunity to study Latin American art. Therefore, when I came upon information on Orozco, I dug more into the HLAS website to see what I could discover. I started with the Luso-Hispanic Research Guides where I made my way to the Mexico: Hispanic Reading Room Country Guide, and then to the Databases. From there, I selected the Latindex database and searched for material on Orozco. I found a full access article pertaining to Mexican muralism and Orozco in Spanish. I was surprised at the amount of full access material that is available through databases that are part of Hispanic Reading Room research guides. Having gained a better understanding of HLAS, and the Library’s other research tools, I can now share them with my co-workers and patrons at the public library where I currently work as a library clerk. As an aspiring information professional, this project emphasized the importance of being informed on accessible internal and external resources in order to fulfill questions from users.
The Mexican Muralist Movement & The Big Three
After the Mexican Revolution came to an end and Porfirio Diaz was taken out of office, Alvaro Obregon was elected as the new president. Obregon came into office with a goal of helping to rebuild Mexico and its people through a process of recognizing their indigenous roots and their long history of resistance. As the exhibit The Mexican Revolution and the United States in the Collections of the Library of Congress: Alvaro Obregon’s Vision for Mexico from the Library of Congress notes Obregon “established the Ministry of Public Education to create a national culture, started national beautification projects, mural painting, and other educational reforms, all aimed at enriching the lower classes of Mexico.” Together with his minister of Public Education, José Vasconcelos, Obregon found a way for the people of Mexico to see themselves represented and understood in art.
As with cartoons during the Revolution, murals after the Revolution helped create recognizable and relatable visual images for people who could not read. These large-scale art pieces were usually painted in public spaces, making this type of art accessible for anyone, regardless of whether they had money to go to museums or galleries. Having public pieces of art display the country’s history was in itself a history lesson. The three influential muralists during this era were Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Their art styles and pieces reflected the working people of Mexico. It gave the people the representation they were missing previously. Although in Olor a tierra de Muros, author Alma Roura argues that each artist during that time period interpreted the art in their own way, such that not all were necessarily influenced by the revolution.
Tina Modotti y el muralismo mexicano is a book composed of photographs of murals painted by artists Rivera and Orozco between 1927 and 1930. The photos by Modotti were taken to examine the murals painted during that time, specifically those painted at the Secretaría Pública, at the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo.
Post-Script and additional HLAS examples
Becoming familiar with HLAS motivated us to continue using it for our own learning, and for informing our co-workers in the information field, friends, and others. By doing so, we hope that it will benefit those who assist others in the location and retrieval of information. Here are some additional sources we found in HLAS and recommend highly!
Imprints of Revolution: Visual Representations of Resistance collects case studies touching on how Mexico’s revolution became historically constructed through the use of visuals. This item can be of interest to high school students needing specific information for a history assignment, or for an art teacher planning to teach how conflict influences artists and their art subjects. All HLAS records, including this one, includes the “Find It at LC” button that one can click and see the different ways for accessing the item. Through this tool, we can locate the item through Google Scholar, and although there is no full access to the item, a great portion of the chapter, “Icons of Revolution: Constructions of Emiliano Zapata in Prints of the Mexican Revolution” by Theresa Avila is openly available.
Another interesting item is Veracruz en la independencia y la revolución mexicanas in which Borjón and Muñoz (2014) assembled different entries written by scholars on the topic of Veracruz and its role on two important Mexican social movements. This item represents just one among hundreds of Spanish language items in HLAS with full access made possible through the “Find It at LC” tool and Google Scholar. The chapter “Las artes plasticas durante los años de la Revolucion mexicana: panorama nacional y artistas veracruzanos” can be of interest to those learning how Mexican artists responded to the Revolution, and the effects on their careers. For example, Dr. Atl left Europe in 1914 after finding out that Victoriano Huerta was in power. Dr. Atl joined the constitutional cause and actively participated in the creation of propaganda, as a result, President Venustiano Carranza named him director of the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes (the National School of Fine Arts).
HLAS contributor, Nichols Henderson notes Arqueología Mexicana, vol. 3 no. 16 (1995) is “devoted to mural painting with an overview of pre-hispanic development and technology. Other articles cover Teotihuacán and central Mexico, Monte Albán, El Tajín, Bonampak, and the postclassic Maya. Discussion of monastic mural painting and the later 20th-century muralist movement notes change and continuity in Mexican muralism.”
Additionally, we hope that when users consult HLAS, they are inspired to explore several other databases through the Library of Congress e-resources, where a range of information on different subjects from science and technology to cultural and regional studies can be found. We recommend the Library of Congress Catalog as a great starting point to check if one is able to access an item online or at the Library, and to review the About Browse, Advanced Search, and the Keyword Search guides before searching the Library’s catalog to ensure an effective online search.
Further reading
Alba, Victor. “The Mexican Revolution and the Cartoon.” Comparative Studies in Society and History, 9 no. 2 (1967): 121–136, accessed December 10, 2024.
Arqueología Mexicana, 3, no. 16 (1995).
Barajas, Rafael (“El Fisgón”). “Caricature and Revolution in Mexico.” Translated by David A. Auerbach. The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, 26 (2010): 80–101, accessed December 10, 2024.
Borjón Nieto, José Jesús, y Eugenio Vásquez Muñoz, coordinadores. Veracruz en la independencia y la revolución mexicanas. Veracruz, Mexico: Secretaría de Educación de Veracruz, Editora de Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, El Colegio de Veracruz, 2014. See esp. chap. 6 “Las artes plásticas durante los años de la Revolución Mexicana: panorama nacional y artistas veracruzanos” by Rubén Amador Arauz.
Calvente, Lisa B. Y., and Guadalupe García, editors. Imprints of Revolution: Visual Representations of Resistance. London: Rowman & Littlefield International, 2016. See esp. chap. 1, “Icons of revolution: constructions of Emiliano Zapata in prints of the Mexican revolution” by Theresa Avila.
Cuadernos de Arquitectura Mesoamericana, no. 31 (1996).
González Cruz Manjarrez, Maricela. Tina Modotti y el muralismo mexicano. México: UNAM, Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas, 1999.
González Navarro, Moisés, “The social transformation of Mexico, 1867-1940,” in Modernization and Revolution in Mexico: A Comparative Approach, edited by Omar Martínez Legorreta, 1-19. Tokyo: United Nations University, 1989.
Lyall, Victoria I, editor. Murals of the America. Denver, Colo.: Denver Art Museum, 2019.
Roura, Alma Lilia. Olor a tierra en los muros. México: Centro Nacional de Investigación, Documentación e Información de Artes Plásticas: Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 2012.
Starr, Pamela K. “Political Economy: Mexico,” in The Handbook of Latin American Studies, vol. 63 – Social Sciences, edited by Tracy North. Austin: University of Texas Press (2008): 521-523.
Vizconde Meneses, Carlos. “Muralismo Mexicano: “Miguel Hidalgo Aboliendo la Eslavitud” de José Clemente Orozco.” Revista Herencia, 43, núm. 2 (2021): 63-100, accessed December 10, 2024.