BROADSIDES
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Venezuela’s First Newspaper

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•  Newspaper printing did not begin in Venezuela until October, 1808, when the press of Gallagher and Lamb arrived and printed, as its first product, the first issue of Andrés Bello’s Gazeta de Caracas. The news that Andrés Bello gives to eager readers in this supplement concerns the total occupation of Madrid by Napoleon’s forces, the fleeing to Gibraltar of 5000 Spanish soldiers, and other distresses that the Spanish army was suffering.

Uncommon: Charno locates copies of the supplement only at the Newberry and University of Texas libraries.

•  Charno, Latin American Newspapers in United States Libraries, pp. 590–92. As issued. Worming in foremargin, touching two letters; repaired; small hole where paper was thin at center of leaf, taking a bit of a rule but no text. Pencilling in margins. A very good copy.

Lord Byron’s Ancestor a'Pleading — BROADSIDE 1709

Gordon, George Gordon,

•  Broadside documenting a legal action over the rents of Aboyne, involving the first Duke of Gordon, ancestor of Lord Byron. Scarce: No holdings were located by ESTC, RLIN, OCLC, or NUC Pre-1956.

•  Creased with slight soiling along crease, edges slightly ragged, otherwise in good condition; now in a Mylar folder. Tipped onto a blank leaf bearing a watermark of 1826.

¡RARE!      

(GuatemalanINCUNABLE).

•  A noble fragment of an unrecorded example of Guatemala's 17th-century printing. Three sections of this thesis have been recovered from a binding and have been put together to form a reconstruction that represents approximately 40% of the original piece, which was composed of two full double-folio sheets (the print area of a complete copy would measure approximately 520 mm x 380 mm, 20.5" x 15" [h x w]). The name of the man standing for examination is not present, but his thesis concerns "Divinæ Relationes" and the date of the exam is given as 14 December 1694; his institution, the University of San Carlos Borromeo, was founded in Guatemala in 1676.

The broadside is printed in double column format, with elaborate use of printer's ornaments to divide the columns, to separate individual theses, and to surround the entire text. The printer, Antonio de Pineda Ibarra, was the son of Guatemala's prototypographer, José de Pineda Ibarra, and was born in Guatemala in 1661, the year after the first book came off a press in Guatemala, the fourth city in Spanish America to obtain a printing press. The father died in 1679 and Antonio began his career two years later, at the age of 20.

•  Not in Medina, Guatemala; not in O'Ryan, Bibliografía guatemalteca de los siglos XVII y XVIII; not in Boletín de la Biblioteca Nacional [de Guatemala], which ran a series of bibliographical articles on its holdings of imprints not found in Medina. Three pieces puzzled together and mounted on a sheet of contemporary paper. Overall browning from the glue of the binding, with the expectable holes and loss of text. But an apparently unique survivor, nonetheless.

Broadside Biography of hisFather-in-Law

Keim, D[aniel] M[ay].

•  In this rare broadside Major Daniel May Keim (1806–67) gives a factual and surprisingly dispassionate account of the life and accomplishments of his father-in-law, Thomas Shewell, a Bucks County–born successful merchant in Philadelphia during the period 1796–1832, who died in 1848. In addition to his business accomplishments, Shewell served for many years as the manager of the House of Refuge in Philadelphia. Maj. Keim was a native of Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, an avid historian and contributor to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, himself a merchant, and a Mason. He ends this publication by promising “in our next number to give a sketch of the life of” Shewell’s son Joseph B. Shewell.

Rare: We fail to trace this via NUC Pre-1956, OCLC, RLIN, and the OPACS of the Library Company, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the Library of Congress.

•  Shallow tears in margin, folded once. Light age-toning. Very good.

The FIRST Step Towards Independence — VENEZUELA

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•  Both Llamosas and Tovar Ponte were leading figures of the early Independence movement in Venezuela. Both served as president of Junta of Defense of the Rule of Fernando VII (later, The Revolutionary Junta), Llamosas 19 April – Aug 1810, and Tovar Aug 1810 – 2 March 1811. Additionally Tovar Ponte, the favorite son of an elite family, was a member of the 1811 Congress and a signer of the Venezuelan Act of Independence.

In this decree Llamosas and Tovar Ponte explain the coup d’etat of 19 April in which the viceroy was deposed and a caretaker government was installed. Although stating loyalty to the imprisoned Spanish king, the revolutionaries repeatedly use the terms “independent” and “independence.”

This historic document was printed by Venezuela’s first press, that of Gallagher and Lamb, which only arrived in Caracas in October of 1808, and it is universally dated as having come off the press on 20 April 1810!

Very Rare.  This broadside was unknown to Medina and is only the 15th item in Pedro Grases chronological list of things printed in Venezuela. In his entry he located only the copies in the Public Record Office (London) and the Archivo de Indias (Seville). Searches of NUC, OCLC, and RLIN fail to find any copy at all. Further, no copies were found when searching the OPACs of the national libraries of Venezuela, Colombia, Spain, France, and England.

•  Not in Medina, Caracas; not in Villasana. Grases, Historia de la imprenta en Venezuela, Repertorio #15. As issued, but one later fold. Worming in upper and lower margins; repaired. Pencilling in margins. A very good copy.

The Merchants Join In

•  On the day after the coup d’etat that deposed the viceroy, the leaders of the governing junta in Caracas announce that many of the city’s Spanish and European merchants have given their support to the new government. Whether they did so willingly or because of pressure is not stated. But this is clearly a statement that is directed at both the hold-out merchants and at those hotheads who might seek to extract compliance extra-governmentally. Click the image for an enlargement.

Llamosas and Tovar Ponte were among the leading figures of the early Independence movement in Venezuela. Both served as president of Junta of Defense of the Rule of Fernando VII (later, The Revolutionary Junta), Llamosas 19 April – Aug 1810, and Tovar Aug 1810 – 2 March 1811. Additionally Tovar Ponte, the favorite son of an elite family, was a member of the 1811 Congress and a signer of the Venezuelan Act of Independence.

This historic document was printed by Venezuela’s first press, that of Gallagher and Lamb, which only arrived in Caracas in October of 1808, and is it universally dated as having come off the press on 20 April!

Very Rare.  This broadside was unknown to Medina and is only the 14th item in Pedro Grases chronological list of things printed in Venezuela. In his entry he located only the copies in the Public Record Office (London) and the Archivo de Indias (Seville). Searches of NUC, OCLC, and RLIN fail to find any copy at all. Further, no copies were found when searching the OPACs of the national libraries of Venezuela, Colombia, Spain, France, and England.

•  Not in Medina, Caracas; not in Villasana. Grases, Historia de la imprenta en Venezuela, Repertorio #14. As issued. Worming in fore-margin, touching but not costing three letters; repaired. A very good copy.

Dramatic Romance & Comic Opera — With Hot Air Balloons

Each: $450.00

Bifolia. [2] ff.
Each: $1000.00

•  Featured plays include Romeo and Juliet, Douglas, The West Indian, and "a new comic opera" called Robin Hood; or, Sherwood Forest. Secondary attractions range from dances to minor dramatic works to pantomimes, with sheets for consecutive evenings showing how a main attraction might be paired with a comedy one night and a musical entertainment the next.

These theatrical ephemera are quite scarce: While 19th-century examples are fairly common, a check of ESTC found only a few scattered instances of 18th-century Theatre-Royal playbills, none with more than one holding.

To view the list of PLAYBILLS,  click here.

Lord Save Us — An AttractiveSMALL Broadside

(Medical Prayer).

•  This prayer, in poetic form, is against an unspecified epidemic and is printed on wove paper within an ornamental border, in double-column format with the columns separated by double lines of entwined opening and closing parentheses. An extremely rare ephemerum, it was probably sold outside churches, to theworried devout.

•  Slightly irregular margins, as issued. Handsome.

The Inquisition & Father Hidalgo's“Manifiesto”

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•  Approximately two months prior to Father Hidalgo's capture by the Royal Forces, the Holy Office issued this decree condemning a publication of the Father of Mexican Independence as seditious, Lutheran, and anti-Catholic. Other writings circulating in manuscript are also condemned: One beginning, “Hemos llegado a la epoca” and ending, “De una Patriota de Lagos” and another beginning, “Es posible. Americanos!” and ending, “será gratificado con quinientos pesos.” Copies of each were burned by the public executioner and all citizens are warned of the penalties — excommunication and fines — for owning or reading these writings, or failing to denounce those who do.

Printed in double-column format and with the woodcut seal of the Inquisition in the lower right corner of the lower edge.

Uncommon: Garritz located only the copy in the Biblioteca Nacional and OCLC locates only five U.S. institutions holding copies.

•  Not in Medina, Mexico. Garritz 1137.   Old folds; five small meandering wormholes touching or costing a very few letters, but not impeding reading sense.  (24917)

Ending an Amnesty for Rebels

•  In this VERY LARGE broadside, printed in double-column format, the Mexican Inquisitors reprint a decree of the Inquisitor General announcing an end to the previously granted period for obtaining amnesty for the crime of rebelling against the crown and its church. Click the image for an enlargement.

Signed by each Mexican Inquisitor with his paraph and with the woodcut seal of the Inquisition in the lower left corner

Very uncommon: We trace only one copy in the U.S. — at the University of California at Berkeley.

•  Not in Medina, Mexico.   Several holes of various sizes, including one very large one in the middle of the first column, with loss of paper costing words and whole sentences. Otherwise, light staining and some instances of soiling most notably around the holes, only. Priced accordingly.  (17028)

Treasury Form specifying“Arbitrary” Penalties for Failure to Comply

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•  Unrecorded printed form with blank spaces for completion in manuscript. The form was used to certify that a miner or his agent had presented gold ingots and/or silver bars and had paid the diezmo tax; there is sufficient space to itemize the ingots and bars. The miner is further obligated to transport the metal to the mint in Mexico City to be turned into coin, with the requirement of presenting to the officials in Durango the receipt he receives from the Mexico City officials. The penalty for failure to comply is specified as “arbitaria”!

Printed in roman type with one decorative initial and a handsome woodcut of the royal coat of arms (as modified by Charles III) in the center at the top of the leaf.

No copy located via WorldCat, CCILA, or METABASE.

•  Not in Medina, Mexico; nor González de Cossío, Cien; nor González de Cossío, 510.   Old folds, small rent in lower blank margin. Waterstain in upper right corner and a big of soil along one fold.  (25800)

OnLOCAL Reinvestment

•  The viceroy publishes a letter from the Secretary of State concerning local reinvestment of tax revenues. This publication is dated in text as Mexico, 15 September 1789.

•  Not in Medina, Mexico; nor González de Cossío, Cien or 510; nor Harper, Americana Iberica. A folded, very good copy. (10667)

Opening the Port ofMatamoros

•  Decree of the Congreso General, approved by José Justo Corro, president ad interim, 16 July 1836, and promulgated the same day by Juan de la Fuente, opening the port of Matamoros to the importation of provisions during the war with Texas, assigning those provisions to the expeditionary force, and exempting from seizure mules and wagons carrying supplies to that army from within the country.

This is a states' edition, promulgated by José Gómez de la Cortina, Governor of the Federal District.

•  Streeter, Texas, 880.   Very good condition. Lacking the integral blank leaf.  (24618)

Abolishing Slavery & Punishing Texas Rebels

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•  Decree abolishes slavery in the republic and provides for compensation to all slave owners except Texans who had taken part in the revolution.

A states' edition issued in Puebla.

•  Streeter, Texas, 926.1.   Very Good copy, with small holes in inner margin, and one small brown stain in lower margin.  (24621)

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