Vanegas Arroyo Publishing House Archive

The Archive was assembled by New World Prints from a wide variety of sources including significant material originating from the Mexico City based printing house of Don Antonio Vanegas Arroyo (Puebla,1852-1917). Don Vanegas Arroyo was the patron of master printmakers Jose Guadalupe Posada (Aguascalientes, 1852-1913) and Manuel Manilla (Mexico City, (1830-1895). It was under Vanegas Arroyo’s direction that the two produced literally thousands of engravings. Their art work supported a multitude of topics ranging from social commentary, political satire, general news often in a sensational format and what is perhaps their most popular imagery – “La Calavera”, literally “the skull” or skeleton. Calavera images were selected to accompany the stories, news and songs of the day that appeared in the chapbooks, pamphlets and broadsheets published by Don Antonio. The illustrations conveyed views of mortality through a living imagery concerned with the varied activity of life, typically with a biting nature, yet with a conscious reverence of the grave.

Don Antonio, through the art of Posada and Manilla, helped influence generations of artists. Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Jose Clemente Orozco, Jean Charlot, Leopoldo Mendez, David Siqueiros, Francisco Toledo; collectives such as the Taller de Grafica Popular (Mexico City); the ASARO (Asamblea de los Artistas Revolucionarios de Oaxaca, Mexico) , Consejo Grafico (United States); the Chicano art movement (United States), even rock and roll’s The Grateful Dead, are but a few of noted influence. Perhaps more importantly Don Antonio also reported, recorded and swayed public opinion at a critical time in the history of Mexico. His spirit of activism was continued by his children and grandchildren --even into the 20th and 21st centuries as evidenced by his grandson Arsacio’s support of the Cuban Revolution. Thanks to the influence of Don Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, there is a rich representation of the political, historical and religious artwork that reflects and records a significant period in the history of Mexico and the United States. The Vanegas Arroyo – Posada influence on today’s contemporary art as well as the tabloid press extends worldwide and most likely beyond anything they might of imagined.

Inspired by their contributions and with the kind cooperation of members of the Vanegas Arroyo family especially our late friend Arsacio “Toto” Venagas Arroyo, who was instrumental in helping us build this collection of works, a mission dedicated to ensuring the preservation and promotion of the artists’ represented in our collection was undertaken. Thus New World Prints was founded (www.newworldprints. com) and its collection of archival materials, much of which rarely seen or unknown, is testimony to the success of the project to date.

Exhibitions and Research

The New World Prints Collection is open to exhibition requests and available to researchers studying various aspects of the art, social movements, politics, history and culture contained in the collection. To date we have held exhibitions a variety of venues including: the California Oakland Museum (Oakland, CA), Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (San Francisco, CA), Office of Supervisor David Campos San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall, The Joint Bancroft – Stanford University Mexican Independence Bicentennial- Revolution Centennial (Berkeley/Palo Alto, CA), Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramirez de Bellas Artes, (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico), Museum of Latin American Art (Long Beach, CA), the Mexican Consulate of San Francisco, San Francisco State University and upcoming at the Nordic Watercolor Museum (Sweden).

The collection depth allows for a variety of specific thematic venue needs such as: Mexican historical influences on contemporary art movements, social commentary, tabloid press, Jose Guadalupe Posada: Master Printmaker, Dia de los Muertos, the chapbook in Mexico: 19th century to the present; religious broadsides, the Golden Age of Mexico’s Hollywood and use of print works to effect positive change on behalf of human rights. To discuss exhibition possibilities, research needs or for other information please contact the Curator, Jim Nikas at 415-860-4250 or via email jimnikas@gmail.com. All rights reserved © 2011.

Selected Sample Collection Items