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Family members who preserved the collection will be present during the opening lecture of the exhibit.

By Rebecca Ruiz-McGill, University Communications
October 1, 2008

Special Collections at The University of Arizona Libraries is launching a lecture series and viewing of its newest exhibition, "Páginas de la Historia de México: Excerpts from the Morales de Escárcega Collection" on display through Jan. 9, 2009.

The exhibit contains materials Gildardo Morales Díaz began gathering in Mexico City in 1920 for his personal library. The exhibit features Morales-Díaz's select archival materials – letters, maps, and government documents – that uniquely chronicle the history of Mexico from the colonial period to the 20th century. His children and grandchildren preserved the materials after his death.

These unique materials are part of the larger, historically significant Morales de Escárcega Collection acquired in 2007 by Special Collections at the UA Libraries. In total, the Morales de Escárcega Collection includes nearly 2,800 books, 79 documents (broadsides and manuscripts) and 10 photographs. The complete collection provides a retrospective look into religious and political life in colonial Mexico, early national political discourse and battles for independence, and 19th century political discord and foreign invasion conditions.

The lecture series begins Oct. 2 and will be held at the UA Main Library room A313-314 starting at 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception in Special Collections from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The opening lecture, "The Morales de Escárcega Family Library: The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts" is presented by UA history professor William "Bill" Beezley.

The lecture series continues on Oct. 9 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with a lecture by UA associate professor of history Martha Few. The lecture is titled "Limpieza de Sangre (cleansing of blood): Race, Religion and Purity of Blood in Colonial Mexico."

The exhibit lecture series ends with two final lectures in November. The first, "Take Another Look! Resources for the Study of Mexican Visual Culture in the Morales Escárcega Collection" by UA professor of art Stacie Widdifield will be held Thursday, Nov. 6 from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

The last lecture will be presented by assistant curator for the Arizona State Museum and UA assistant professor of history Michael Brescia on Nov. 20 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. His lecture is titled "An Understanding of Mexican History through the Morales de Escárcega Collection."

Verónica Reyes-Escudero, an associate librarian with in UA Special Collections, said the collection is a chronicle of the country's history, including its independence from Spain, conflicts with the United States and the political gains of José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori, or Porfirio Diaz, who became president of Mexico.

The eagerly sought-after collection is the only known assemblage of its kind to narrate a specific period of time in Mexico's history, spanning the colonial period up to the 20th century.

"I consider this a major collection," Reyes-Escudero said while looking through the lot. On average, the library adds three major collections each year, she said.

The UA Libraries was also awarded a $25,000 grant from the Southwestern Foundation for Education and Historical Preservation, which has allowed staff to catalog and digitize the collection.

In his assessment of the collection Brescia spoke about how well the pieces correspond with what already exists at the UA.

Its contents "reflect quite nicely the nature and purpose of Special Collections at the UA Libraries, that is to serve as a repository and promote the scholarly significance of rare or difficult to find primary source materials that facilitate the research and teaching strengths of the UA," Brescia wrote.

"Simply put, these documents, printed matter and books are key primary materials that speak to every major event in 19th century Mexico," Brescia added.

Since the arrival of the Morales de Escárcega Collection at the UA in fall 2007, staff and librarians at the UA Libraries have catalogued nearly 1,480 of the books and scanned and digitized 47 manuscripts and broadsides for inclusion in the corresponding Web exhibit. In addition to making the collection available online, the Web exhibit allows users to closely examine these one-of-a-kind resources via high-resolution digital images. In-depth research conducted by scholars in the field provides historical context for both the physical and online exhibits.