Special Collections - Mexicana | Los Angeles Public Library
Source: https://www.lapl.org/branches/central-library/departments/special-collections/mexicana
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:35
Special Collections - Mexicana | Los Angeles Public Library
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Central Library
Since its founding in 1872, the Los Angeles Public Library has acquired and made available books, journals and other forms of information that concern Mexico, whose influence on the culture of Los Angeles and California has always been and continues to be profound.
The Mexicana Collection is spread throughout the library system, in the subject departments, the Special Collections Department, and the community branches. It is a rich resource for students, teachers, parents, entrepreneurs, and researchers of every level who are interested in the heritage that Mexico continues to give to the world.
Books in Spanish were a large part of the first collections when the library opened in 1872. By the 1890s, the librarians were buying or receiving as gifts important books on Mexican history.
During his tenure as City Librarian from 1905 to 1910, Charles Lummis made the Mexicana Collection a priority, greatly expanding material on the discovery of the Americas, the history of Mexico and of California, and on the cultures of native peoples.
As a result, the Special Collections Department has hundreds of important and rare books on these subjects which supplement the materials found throughout the Central Library and the branches.
In the Special Collections Department are found books on Mexico printed between the sixteenth and the twentieth centuries. They include facsimiles of the major Mixtec and Mayan books (codices) produced before the Spanish Conquest and just after, histories of the conquest, accounts of native life, treatises on the Indian languages, religious manuals used by the padres to convert the Indians, books on medicinal and other useful plants, architecture, costume, and histories of the nation and its individual states from the conquest until the 1910 revolution. A few of the individual highlights follow:
Francisco Maria Picolo. Informe del Estado de la Nueva Cristiandad de California... Mexico, 1702. The first written account of California.
Fr. Juan de Torquemada. Los veinte in un libros rituales i Monarchia Indiana... Madrid, 1723. A key work on the Indians of Mexico.
Miguèl Venegas. Noticia de la California... Madrid, 1757. One of the most important works on the history of California.
Francesco Clavijero. Storia della California.Venice, 1789. A primary source on the history of Baja.
Gertrude Duby Blom. Chiapas Maya. San Cristobal de las Casas, 1982. Photographic documentation of the Lacandon Maya.
Important collections include the George B. Smith Collection of materials on Bullfighting which has over 1,400 volumes devoted to the Fiesta Brava and the Paul Fritzsche Culinary Collection which contains the most important Mexican cookery books of the nineteenth century, as well as an important early manuscript.
Materials in Central Library Subject Departments
Art, Music, & Recreation
The art, architecture, photography and music of Mexico are emphasized. Pre-Columbian, colonial and modern art, including the mural movement of the 1920s and the Chicano art that began to assert itself in the 1970s reveal the continuing flow of cultural influences in both directions across the border.
Business & Economics
Materials on the economic history of Mexico and international trade with Mexico are included here. There are trade journals such as Expansión, trade , economic statistics, financial data on Mexican businesses, and directories of Mexican industries and services. An extensive collection of materials related to NAFTA has been established.
Children's Literature
The Department actively acquires books and magazines on Mexico and the Hispanic cultures in the United States. About twenty-five percent of the department's budget is spent on books in Spanish for the over 125,000 Spanish speaking elementary school children in Los Angeles. After years of prodding by librarians, major U.S. publishers are releasing more and more children's titles in both English and Spanish. The library's Familias en la Biblioteca program actively reaches out to Spanish speaking families in the downtown area to familiarize them with what the library has to offer.
History & Genealogy
The History and Genealogy Department collects extensively in the history and archaeology of Mexico, biography and genealogy of Mexicans and of Mexican-Americans, travel to Mexico, and the geography of Mexico, including topographic maps. Most of the materials are in English, but many are in Spanish when they are necessary to cover the subject field and are too specialized for the International Languages Department. Microfilm files of many Spanish language newspapers published in Los Angeles, such as Estrella, The Express, and a complete file of La Opionion are found here. The library also owns an extensive file of the Mexico City newspaper, Excelsior.
International Languages
The Spanish language collection is the largest of the many language collections in the International Languages Department. It is broad in scope, covering all subjects that are important in daily life, as well as the major literary works of the Hispanic world.
Literature & Fiction
The Department contains plays, poetry, novels, short stories and literary criticism of the important authors of the Hispanic world in English and in bilingual format.
Science, Technology, & Patents
The department has significant holdings on Mexican natural history, agriculture, botany, geology, mining and an extensive collection of Mexican food and beverage materials.
Social Science, Philosophy, & Religion
Politics and government of both the United States and Mexico are found here. Special emphases include ethnic studies materials on Latinos, directories of elected officials, immigration and border studies, Mexico's relations with the United States and with other countries.
In all, there are thousands and thousands of titles, in English and in Spanish, on Mexico and Mexican American subjects in the Central Library. These materials are available at the Central Library, and many of them can be borrowed through the sixty three local branches, most of whom also maintain materials in this field.
Subject Departments
Art, Music & Recreation
Business & Economics
Children's Literature
Digitization & Special Collections
History & Genealogy
International Languages
Literature & Fiction
Popular Library
Science, Technology & Patents
Social Science, Philosophy & Religion
Teen'Scape
Español
Kids & Parents
Teens
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How do I get a Student Success Card?
How do I print from my laptop? (wireless printing)
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Freegal Music
hoopla
Kanopy
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Book Lists
New Books by Genre
Staff Reviews
RSS Feeds
Resources for Readers
LAPL Writes
Book Lists
Online Resources
Indie Author Project
Submission Policy
Events
Language Collections
Libby (Overdrive)
New York Times Digital
Podcasts
ALOUD
Children Chatting
Poet Laureate
Zines
Read Freely
Education & Research
Databases - Research & Homework
California Index
Government Documents
High School Diploma
LAPL Indexes
Behymer Collection Index
Bookplate Collection
Business Magazine Index
Business & Economics Reference Works
California Documents Index
California Fiction Index
California Index
California Prints Index
Casey Fashion Plates
City Directories Index
Cookery Ephemera Index
Environmental Impact Reports
Genealogy & Local History Index
Gladys English
Government Documents - Business
Japanese Prints Index
Library Images Index
Lummis Autograph Collection Index
Menu Collection
Native American Index
Orchestration Catalog
Play File Index
Public Art Index
Series and Sequels
Short Story File Index
Song Index
Theater Program Collection
Toy Movable Database
Turnabout Theater Archive
LinkedIn Learning
Online Learning
Research Guides
Aerial Photographs
African -American Literature (PDF)
African-American Ingenuity
Bilingual English-Spanish Material (PDF)
Census Tract Maps (PDF)
Environmental Impact Reports
Financing New Business (PDF)
Food and Drink
Genealogy
Grants
History of Your House
Holiday Cookery
Job Hunting and Money Guides
Literary Criticism Locator
Map Collection
Maps of Los Angeles
Military and Industry Standards and Specifications
Newspapers
Obituaries in LA County
Philosophy Research
Play Locator
Representative Maps in Los Angeles History and Growth
Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlases
Sheet Music Locator
Short Story Locator
Small Business Research (PDF)
Treaty Research
Vital Records
Student Success
Verify Student Success Card
Tessa: Photo & Digital Collections
L.A. in Focus Videos
Shades of L.A. Oral Histories
Services & Programs
Adult Literacy
Ask a Librarian
Be a Successful Street Vendor
Overview & Permits
Cell-Ed Pathways
Resources & Links
Small Business Help
Book a Librarian
Community Outreach
Cybernauts
Explore L.A.
Homeless Resources
Jobs, Money & Small Business
Memory Lab
New Americans
Octavia Lab & Koreatown Media Lab
Reentry Resources
Reserve a Computer
Seniors
State Park Pass
STEAM
Tech2go
Veterans Resources
Voter Information
Wireless Printing
Neighborhood Science
Events
Adults
Babies & Toddlers
Bilingual Events
Calendar
Celebrations
Central 100 Celebration
Expedition L.A.
Exhibits
Kids
L.A. Made
Seniors
Teens
Locations & Hours
All Branches
Central Library
Departments and Services
Art, Music, & Recreation Department
Business and Economics Department
Children's Literature Department
Computer Center
History & Genealogy Department
International Languages Department
Literature & Fiction Department
Low-Vision Service Centers
Popular Library
Science, Technology, & Patents Department
Social Science, Philosophy & Religion Department
Special Collections
Appointment Request Form
Appraisals
Californiana
Gifts/Donations
Introduction to Special Collections
Mexicana
Photographs
The Special Collections Room Story
Teen'Scape
Directions
Parking
Art And Architecture
Central Library Video Wall
Historical Portraits Project
Goodhue Building
Painting
Public Art Projects
The Literate Fence Quotations
Sculpture
Themes and Inscriptions
Tom Bradley Wing
Central Library Docent Tours
Central Library Virtual Tour
Facility Rentals
Policies
Rates & Occupancy
Holiday Closures
Get Involved
Become a Friend of the Library
Join the Library Foundation of Los Angeles
Make a Donation
Shop The Library Store
Volunteer
About LAPL
Accessibility & ADA Services
Angel City Press
App
Blog
Board of Library Commissioners
Agendas and Minutes
Agendas & Minutes Archive
Board Members
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infoNow (Ask A Librarian)
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Solicitud de tarjeta electrónica
Pregúntale a un bibliotecario
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Sugerir una Compra
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Jobs & Business Opportunities
Perform at LAPL
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Press Images - Central Library
Rules of Conduct
Staff Directory
Volunteer Opportunities
Español
¿Qué hay de nuevo?
Títulos recomendados
Ciudadanía
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Teens
ADA
App
Blog
Connect With Us
Contact Us
FAQs
Online Privacy Policy
Site Map
Jump to Navigation
Jump to Content
Central Library
Since its founding in 1872, the Los Angeles Public Library has acquired and made available books, journals and other forms of information that concern Mexico, whose influence on the culture of Los Angeles and California has always been and continues to be profound.
The Mexicana Collection is spread throughout the library system, in the subject departments, the Special Collections Department, and the community branches. It is a rich resource for students, teachers, parents, entrepreneurs, and researchers of every level who are interested in the heritage that Mexico continues to give to the world.
Books in Spanish were a large part of the first collections when the library opened in 1872. By the 1890s, the librarians were buying or receiving as gifts important books on Mexican history.
During his tenure as City Librarian from 1905 to 1910, Charles Lummis made the Mexicana Collection a priority, greatly expanding material on the discovery of the Americas, the history of Mexico and of California, and on the cultures of native peoples.
As a result, the Special Collections Department has hundreds of important and rare books on these subjects which supplement the materials found throughout the Central Library and the branches.
In the Special Collections Department are found books on Mexico printed between the sixteenth and the twentieth centuries. They include facsimiles of the major Mixtec and Mayan books (codices) produced before the Spanish Conquest and just after, histories of the conquest, accounts of native life, treatises on the Indian languages, religious manuals used by the padres to convert the Indians, books on medicinal and other useful plants, architecture, costume, and histories of the nation and its individual states from the conquest until the 1910 revolution. A few of the individual highlights follow:
Francisco Maria Picolo. Informe del Estado de la Nueva Cristiandad de California... Mexico, 1702. The first written account of California.
Fr. Juan de Torquemada. Los veinte in un libros rituales i Monarchia Indiana... Madrid, 1723. A key work on the Indians of Mexico.
Miguèl Venegas. Noticia de la California... Madrid, 1757. One of the most important works on the history of California.
Francesco Clavijero. Storia della California.Venice, 1789. A primary source on the history of Baja.
Gertrude Duby Blom. Chiapas Maya. San Cristobal de las Casas, 1982. Photographic documentation of the Lacandon Maya.
Important collections include the George B. Smith Collection of materials on Bullfighting which has over 1,400 volumes devoted to the Fiesta Brava and the Paul Fritzsche Culinary Collection which contains the most important Mexican cookery books of the nineteenth century, as well as an important early manuscript.
Materials in Central Library Subject Departments
Art, Music, & Recreation
The art, architecture, photography and music of Mexico are emphasized. Pre-Columbian, colonial and modern art, including the mural movement of the 1920s and the Chicano art that began to assert itself in the 1970s reveal the continuing flow of cultural influences in both directions across the border.
Business & Economics
Materials on the economic history of Mexico and international trade with Mexico are included here. There are trade journals such as Expansión, trade , economic statistics, financial data on Mexican businesses, and directories of Mexican industries and services. An extensive collection of materials related to NAFTA has been established.
Children's Literature
The Department actively acquires books and magazines on Mexico and the Hispanic cultures in the United States. About twenty-five percent of the department's budget is spent on books in Spanish for the over 125,000 Spanish speaking elementary school children in Los Angeles. After years of prodding by librarians, major U.S. publishers are releasing more and more children's titles in both English and Spanish. The library's Familias en la Biblioteca program actively reaches out to Spanish speaking families in the downtown area to familiarize them with what the library has to offer.
History & Genealogy
The History and Genealogy Department collects extensively in the history and archaeology of Mexico, biography and genealogy of Mexicans and of Mexican-Americans, travel to Mexico, and the geography of Mexico, including topographic maps. Most of the materials are in English, but many are in Spanish when they are necessary to cover the subject field and are too specialized for the International Languages Department. Microfilm files of many Spanish language newspapers published in Los Angeles, such as Estrella, The Express, and a complete file of La Opionion are found here. The library also owns an extensive file of the Mexico City newspaper, Excelsior.
International Languages
The Spanish language collection is the largest of the many language collections in the International Languages Department. It is broad in scope, covering all subjects that are important in daily life, as well as the major literary works of the Hispanic world.
Literature & Fiction
The Department contains plays, poetry, novels, short stories and literary criticism of the important authors of the Hispanic world in English and in bilingual format.
Science, Technology, & Patents
The department has significant holdings on Mexican natural history, agriculture, botany, geology, mining and an extensive collection of Mexican food and beverage materials.
Social Science, Philosophy, & Religion
Politics and government of both the United States and Mexico are found here. Special emphases include ethnic studies materials on Latinos, directories of elected officials, immigration and border studies, Mexico's relations with the United States and with other countries.
In all, there are thousands and thousands of titles, in English and in Spanish, on Mexico and Mexican American subjects in the Central Library. These materials are available at the Central Library, and many of them can be borrowed through the sixty three local branches, most of whom also maintain materials in this field.
Subject Departments
Art, Music & Recreation
Business & Economics
Children's Literature
Digitization & Special Collections
History & Genealogy
International Languages
Literature & Fiction
Popular Library
Science, Technology & Patents
Social Science, Philosophy & Religion
Teen'Scape
Español
Kids & Parents
Teens
How Do I?
How do I get a library card?
How do I get a Student Success Card?
How do I print from my laptop? (wireless printing)
How do I reserve a computer?
How do I renew my books?
How do I update my address/phone/e-mail online?
SEE MORE FAQs >>>
My Library Account
Enhanced Catalog Account
Get a Library Card
Reserve a Computer
Ask a Librarian
Book a Librarian
Find A Library
Connect with LAPL
YouTube
Newsletter
Top
LAPL Home
My Account
Books & E-Media
Blog
Book Bundles To Go
Catalog
Branch Periodical Subscription List
E-Media
Freegal Music
Kanopy
L.A. in Focus Videos
New York Times Digital
Freegal Music
hoopla
Kanopy
LAPL Reads
Book Lists
New Books by Genre
Staff Reviews
RSS Feeds
Resources for Readers
LAPL Writes
Book Lists
Online Resources
Indie Author Project
Submission Policy
Events
Language Collections
Libby (Overdrive)
New York Times Digital
Podcasts
ALOUD
Children Chatting
Poet Laureate
Zines
Read Freely
Education & Research
Databases - Research & Homework
California Index
Government Documents
High School Diploma
LAPL Indexes
Behymer Collection Index
Bookplate Collection
Business Magazine Index
Business & Economics Reference Works
California Documents Index
California Fiction Index
California Index
California Prints Index
Casey Fashion Plates
City Directories Index
Cookery Ephemera Index
Environmental Impact Reports
Genealogy & Local History Index
Gladys English
Government Documents - Business
Japanese Prints Index
Library Images Index
Lummis Autograph Collection Index
Menu Collection
Native American Index
Orchestration Catalog
Play File Index
Public Art Index
Series and Sequels
Short Story File Index
Song Index
Theater Program Collection
Toy Movable Database
Turnabout Theater Archive
LinkedIn Learning
Online Learning
Research Guides
Aerial Photographs
African -American Literature (PDF)
African-American Ingenuity
Bilingual English-Spanish Material (PDF)
Census Tract Maps (PDF)
Environmental Impact Reports
Financing New Business (PDF)
Food and Drink
Genealogy
Grants
History of Your House
Holiday Cookery
Job Hunting and Money Guides
Literary Criticism Locator
Map Collection
Maps of Los Angeles
Military and Industry Standards and Specifications
Newspapers
Obituaries in LA County
Philosophy Research
Play Locator
Representative Maps in Los Angeles History and Growth
Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlases
Sheet Music Locator
Short Story Locator
Small Business Research (PDF)
Treaty Research
Vital Records
Student Success
Verify Student Success Card
Tessa: Photo & Digital Collections
L.A. in Focus Videos
Shades of L.A. Oral Histories
Services & Programs
Adult Literacy
Ask a Librarian
Be a Successful Street Vendor
Overview & Permits
Cell-Ed Pathways
Resources & Links
Small Business Help
Book a Librarian
Community Outreach
Cybernauts
Explore L.A.
Homeless Resources
Jobs, Money & Small Business
Memory Lab
New Americans
Octavia Lab & Koreatown Media Lab
Reentry Resources
Reserve a Computer
Seniors
State Park Pass
STEAM
Tech2go
Veterans Resources
Voter Information
Wireless Printing
Neighborhood Science
Events
Adults
Babies & Toddlers
Bilingual Events
Calendar
Celebrations
Central 100 Celebration
Expedition L.A.
Exhibits
Kids
L.A. Made
Seniors
Teens
Locations & Hours
All Branches
Central Library
Departments and Services
Art, Music, & Recreation Department
Business and Economics Department
Children's Literature Department
Computer Center
History & Genealogy Department
International Languages Department
Literature & Fiction Department
Low-Vision Service Centers
Popular Library
Science, Technology, & Patents Department
Social Science, Philosophy & Religion Department
Special Collections
Appointment Request Form
Appraisals
Californiana
Gifts/Donations
Introduction to Special Collections
Mexicana
Photographs
The Special Collections Room Story
Teen'Scape
Directions
Parking
Art And Architecture
Central Library Video Wall
Historical Portraits Project
Goodhue Building
Painting
Public Art Projects
The Literate Fence Quotations
Sculpture
Themes and Inscriptions
Tom Bradley Wing
Central Library Docent Tours
Central Library Virtual Tour
Facility Rentals
Policies
Rates & Occupancy
Holiday Closures
Get Involved
Become a Friend of the Library
Join the Library Foundation of Los Angeles
Make a Donation
Shop The Library Store
Volunteer
About LAPL
Accessibility & ADA Services
Angel City Press
App
Blog
Board of Library Commissioners
Agendas and Minutes
Agendas & Minutes Archive
Board Members
Borrower Services
City Librarian
Connect With Us
Contact Us
eCard Registration
infoNow (Ask A Librarian)
Change of Address
Suggest a Purchase
Library Card Pre-Registration
Solicitud de tarjeta electrónica
Pregúntale a un bibliotecario
Formulario de cambio de dirección
Sugerir una Compra
Solicitud de tarjeta
Jobs & Business Opportunities
Perform at LAPL
Press Room
Press Release Archive
Press Images - Branch Libraries
Press Images - Central Library
Rules of Conduct
Staff Directory
Volunteer Opportunities
Español
¿Qué hay de nuevo?
Títulos recomendados
Ciudadanía
Kids & Parents
Teens
ADA
App
Blog
Connect With Us
Contact Us
FAQs
Online Privacy Policy
Site Map