Lilly Texana
Based entirely upon the Lilly Library's collections, a new work joins the ranks
of bibliographical and historical publications that document the long,
complicated history of Mexico-Texas relations before 1849. Lilly Texana: One
Hundred Eighty Broadsides and Other Ephemera Relating to Texas, Printed and
Published in Mexico before 1849 in the Lilly Library of Indiana University, by
Everett C. Wilkie, Jr., describes a significant body of materials in the Lilly
Library's collections pertaining to Texas history that until now has been
generally unrecognized or not reported to exist in the copy described. Most of
the included items are not found in Thomas Streeter's seminal Bibliography of
Texas, the primary work in this area, or in other sources. Several entries
represent the discovery of another copy of an item that Streeter believed to
exist in only a single example.
In his preface, Wilkie notes: "Although an arbitrary sampling, the numerous
documents listed herein demonstrate that Texas was a constant concern of Mexican
authorities and the populace, even though the entire region tended to be treated
from colonial times with benign neglect, a problem that even Mexican authors
lamented. I was personally excited, for example to find a 28 May 1836 broadside
announcing that the citizens of San Luis Potosí had opened a subscription to
support the Mexican army in Texas and a similar 2 August 1842 broadside from
Zacatecas, both previously unidentified items. Such deeply personal reactions on
the part of the Mexican populace are rarely encountered in print." Included,
for example, are several previously unrecognized imprints by Samuel Bangs,
Texas's first printer; rare documents relating to the Texas Santa Fe Expedition;
dozens of decrees and laws relating to the Texas Revolution; and publications
documenting the Mexican-American War, whereby Mexico lost all hope of possessing
Texas.
The works described in Lilly Texana are part of the Bernardo Mendel broadside collection, which contains approximately 15,000 single-sheet items, pamphlets and ephemera, many of which are laws, other official pronouncements, or proclamations. Lilly Texana provides full bibliographic descriptions and historical context for each of the 180 works included and five indexes covering names, subjects, titles, publication, and bibliographic cross-references. The book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the history of Mexico-Texas relations, descriptive bibliography, the American Southwest, or the history of printing. Many of the items described are believed to be unique and demonstrate the often incredible depth of the Lilly Library's unexplored collections.
Wilkie, an independent scholar, received his PhD and ML from the University of South Carolina. He is the co-author of The French Image of America: A Chronological and Subject Bibliography of French Books Printed before 1816 Relating to the British North American Colonies and the United States and has published numerous articles and other writings in the field of Americana bibliography and history. In the early 1980s, he was the Lilly Library's reference librarian, during which time he developed his interest in the Mendel Collection.
The 110 pages of text include seven illustrations in addition to 96 full page color plates; all entries are completely illustrated in high resolution color images on two DVDs that accompany the book. Designed by Bradley Hutchinson of Digital Letterpress in Austin, Texas, the book is available either in soft cover or case bound. The press run was 350 copies. Soft cover copies are available for $40.00 each; case bound copies are $75.00 each. Discounts are given for orders of multiple copies. To order, please contact the Library: liblilly@indiana.edu<mailto:liblilly@indiana.edu>, phone 812-855-2452, or fax 812-855-3143.
The Lilly Library is Indiana University's library for rare books and special collections and one of the eighteen libraries of the Indiana University Bloomington Libraries. It houses more than 400,000 books, 130,000 pieces of sheet music, and approximately 7 million manuscripts.
The works described in Lilly Texana are part of the Bernardo Mendel broadside collection, which contains approximately 15,000 single-sheet items, pamphlets and ephemera, many of which are laws, other official pronouncements, or proclamations. Lilly Texana provides full bibliographic descriptions and historical context for each of the 180 works included and five indexes covering names, subjects, titles, publication, and bibliographic cross-references. The book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the history of Mexico-Texas relations, descriptive bibliography, the American Southwest, or the history of printing. Many of the items described are believed to be unique and demonstrate the often incredible depth of the Lilly Library's unexplored collections.
Wilkie, an independent scholar, received his PhD and ML from the University of South Carolina. He is the co-author of The French Image of America: A Chronological and Subject Bibliography of French Books Printed before 1816 Relating to the British North American Colonies and the United States and has published numerous articles and other writings in the field of Americana bibliography and history. In the early 1980s, he was the Lilly Library's reference librarian, during which time he developed his interest in the Mendel Collection.
The 110 pages of text include seven illustrations in addition to 96 full page color plates; all entries are completely illustrated in high resolution color images on two DVDs that accompany the book. Designed by Bradley Hutchinson of Digital Letterpress in Austin, Texas, the book is available either in soft cover or case bound. The press run was 350 copies. Soft cover copies are available for $40.00 each; case bound copies are $75.00 each. Discounts are given for orders of multiple copies. To order, please contact the Library: liblilly@indiana.edu<mailto:liblilly@indiana.edu>, phone 812-855-2452, or fax 812-855-3143.
The Lilly Library is Indiana University's library for rare books and special collections and one of the eighteen libraries of the Indiana University Bloomington Libraries. It houses more than 400,000 books, 130,000 pieces of sheet music, and approximately 7 million manuscripts.
