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Category: Hispanic Division

Broadside shows a male skeleton dressed in a charro outfit wielding a machete in a graveyard, apparently in the process of creating more skeletons – a crowd of skeletons surround him and skulls lie at his feet. The text block is decorated with four small skulls.

José Guadalupe Posada’s Lively Calaveras and Enduring Legacy

Posted by: Maria Peña

Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, considered Mexico's most influential graphic artist, helped popularize the calavera as a satirical graphic motif, often printed with rhyming ballads or corridos. After Posada's death in 1913, the calaveras became closely associated with the "Día de los Muertos," a holiday in November to honor and remember deceased loved ones. The Library of Congress has one of the largest collections of his work in the U.S. and is a major resource for understanding Mexican culture.

Color photo of a man and woman ballroom dancing on an open patio.

Dancing the Danzón: Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted by: Maria Peña

Born in 19th-century Cuban dance halls, danzón eventually became the country’s official national dance. Influenced by African and European music and dance traditions, it continues to thrive outside the big island’s borders, in Mexico and beyond, in orchestra halls and dance salons, leaving an indelible mark on Latin American culture. It’s a genre all its own and a lovely bit of romance to remember during Hispanic Heritage Month here in the U.S. The Library has plenty of music, films and books to help you explore its rich history.

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Connecting Andean Voices and Heritages

Posted by: Neely Tucker

This is a guest post by Giselle Aviles, a reference librarian in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Latin American, Caribbean and European Division. The Hispanic Reading Room has a new research guide, Interconnecting Worlds: Weaving Community Narratives, Andean Histories & the Library’s Collections. This guide, with resources in English, Spanish and Quechua, facilitates research …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Haiti: The Liberation Connection

Posted by: Neely Tucker

Taylor Healey-Brooks, the Librarian-in-Residence in the Latin American, Caribbean and European Division, was the lead author on a remarkable new Library resource guide about the connections between Haiti and the United States. She talks about the project here.