Curious and Scarce Imprints from South America by Libreria de Antano
Some curious and scarce imprints from South America.
By Michael Stillman
Libreria de Antano of Buenos Aires has released a most interesting and unusual collection: South America -- A Selection of Curious and Scarce Imprints Mostly from Small Provincial Presses. There aren't many items you will recognize here, although people with an interest in early Latin American history will know the topics and conflicts described. The internal issues south of the U.S. border may not have regularly penetrated consciousness north of that line, but there was a vibrant history being played out across the southern continent. Small pieces of that history are captured in this list.
These items were written in the Spanish language. Fortunately for this reader, Libreria de Antano also provides descriptions in English. We cannot provide prices as they are not listed. Here are a few samples of these "curious" items:
A 1679 edict from the King of Spain ordering the liberation of Indian slaves, as well as their children and descendants. African slaves did not yet fare so well, but it was a start.
The American Revolution opened the door to greater free trade in the Americas. However, this did not eliminate such issues as smuggling on the seas and land. This 1786 document prescribes rules for impounding and later distributing contraband seized from smugglers.
In the time of Napoleon, the Spanish King was seriously weakened and even detained by the French. This circular issued by councilmen from Mexico City in 1808 proclaims their loyalty to the Spanish King. The Mexican people may have been loyal to Spain vis-a-vis the French, but the first attempt at revolution by the indigenous people would come just two years later, and the final overthrow of Spain about a decade after that.
In the 19th century, two-thirds of Mexican cropland was devoted to growing corn. This 1851 report, published in Chile, tells about the origin of corn, its history, cultivation, and other information.
If your preference is peanuts, there's an item on peanut growing in America. It provides historical and botanical data about a plant that was little known at the time (1800).
Gonnelli Auction 59 Antique prints, paintings and maps May 20th 2025
Gonnelli: Pietro Aquila, Psyche and Proserpina,1690. Starting price 140€
Gonnelli: Jacques Gamelin, Memento homo quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris, 1779. Starting price 300€
Gonnelli: Giorgio Ghisi, The final Judgement, 1680. Starting price 480€
Gonnelli Auction 59 Antique prints, paintings and maps May 20th 2025
Gonnelli Goya y Lucientes Francisco, Los Proverbios.1877. Starting price 1000 €
Gonnelli: Domenico Peruzzini, Long bearded old man, 1660. Starting price 2200€
Gonnelli: Enea Vico, Leda and the Swan,1542. Starting price 140€
Gonnelli Auction 59 Antique prints, paintings and maps May 20th 2025
Gonnelli: Andrea Del Sarto [school of], San Giovanni Battista, 1570. Starting price 25000€
Gonnelli: Carlo Maratta, Virgin Mary and Jesus, 1660. Starting Price 1200€
Gonnelli: Louis Brion de La Tour, Sphére de Copernic Sphere de Ptolemée / Le Systême de Ptolemée. Le Systême de Ticho-Brahe…, 1766. Starting price 180€
Gonnelli Auction 59 Antique prints, paintings and maps May 20th 2025
Gonnelli: Marc’Antonio Dal Re, Ville di Delizia o Siano Palaggi Camparecci nello Stato di Milano Divise in Sei Tomi Con espressevi le Piante…, Tomo Primo, 1726. Starting price 7000€
Gonnelli: Katsushika Hokusai, Bird on a branch, 1843. Starting price 100€
![<b>Gonnelli:</b> Andrea Del Sarto [school of], San Giovanni Battista, 1570. Starting price 25000€](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/dc0b1dc0-f7c8-40b6-a5a6-870689484c07.jpg "<b>Gonnelli:</b> Andrea Del Sarto [school of], San Giovanni Battista, 1570. Starting price 25000€")
![<b>Dominic Winter, May 14:</b> Roberts (Henry, after). <i>Chart of the NW Coast of America and NE Coast of Asia ...,</i> [1784]. £500-800](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/033cf239-2b91-4588-aca2-50ad0a9c43b3.jpg "<b>Dominic Winter, May 14:</b> Roberts (Henry, after). <i>Chart of the NW Coast of America and NE Coast of Asia ...,</i> [1784]. £500-800")
![<b>Dominic Winter, May 14:</b> World. Ortelius (Abraham), <i>Typus Orbis Terrarum,</i> [1598]. £2,000-3,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/3ecbc3d4-52ef-41c5-8a8d-d4a158a51253.jpg "<b>Dominic Winter, May 14:</b> World. Ortelius (Abraham), <i>Typus Orbis Terrarum,</i> [1598]. £2,000-3,000")
![<b>Dominic Winter, May 14:</b> Bible [English]. [<i>The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New...,</i> 1613]. £2,000-3,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/fcfb0b9a-4f59-4dc8-87fd-1dfdf90611dc.jpg "<b>Dominic Winter, May 14:</b> Bible [English]. [<i>The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New...,</i> 1613]. £2,000-3,000")
