[Collection of Seventy-Two c.1900 Spanish Children’s Chromo Chapbooks, many with a New York “Imprint”].

Sold by Mrs. John Cuadrado at her Spanish Harlem bookstore, Librería Moderna Española-Americana


Exceptionally bright collection of children’s Spanish-language chapbooks published in Madrid by S. Calleja, the firm of innovative Spanish children’s publisher Saturnino Calleja Fernández (1853–1915). Many of the books bear the “imprint” of an American woman bookseller.

S. Calleja was noted for their inexpensive and profusely illustrated, novelty children’s books. The 72 chapbooks in the present collection are distinguished by their chromolithographic wrappers and extensive illustrations.

Curiously, or perhaps intentionally—as will be argued here, none of the chapbooks bear a formal imprint: place of publication, publisher, date, etc., nor is a chromolithographer or printer named. Printed on the cover of each, as part of the design of the chromolithograph, is the name S. Calleja and on the illustrated title pages, in lieu of an author, is the phrase “S. Calleja, Editor” (S. Calleja, Publisher).

However, each title page has a blank rectangular space at the bottom, the traditional place for an imprint, and a blank round space near the series name at the top of the page. It can be argued that these blank spaces or voids in the design are intentional, these places reserved for a printed imprint or, as seen here in 25 of the chapbooks, a rubber stamp “imprint” for a vendor or distributor.

Twenty-two of the chapbooks here are rubber-stamped on the title page rectangular void with the legend “Librería Moderna, Mrs. John Cuadrado, 125 Wast 126th Street, New York” or, in three instances, in the round void, “Librería Moderna Española-Americana, 125 East 126th St., New York City, U.S.A.”

The round stamp further states this firm was established by Mrs. John Cuadrado in 1900. Cuadrado’s bookstore was located in East Harlem in New York City in an area known informally as Spanish Harlem.

Mrs. Cuadrado appears to have been a purveyor of Spanish-language books. Her trade competition for Spanish-language books in 1900 would have included Brentano’s and Compañía Hispano-Americana, both in lower Manhattan.

Though not all of the chapbooks in the collection bear her “imprint,” they all likely came from her shop. The tedious rubber-stamping on these likely inexpensive chapbooks might have been done haphazardly when shelved for sale or perhaps, even, done irregularly at point-of-sale.

Fifty-two stories are from a series entitled “Cuentos Fantásticos” (Fantastic Stories); the remaining 20 are from the series “Leyendas Morales” (Moral Legends).

The cover art for each booklet serves as the principal illustration for the story. The back covers all illustrate exaggerated character types—some stretching into humorous caricature—many of which show folk costumes or urban dwellers. Each of these back cover illustrations is accompanied by a caption or, most typically, a four-line verse.

To further engage children, each chapbook contains additional illustrations, puzzles, a rebus (“Jeroglifico”), a one-page history lesson, and a brainteaser (“Pasatiempo”).

The subject matter for each story—drawn from fantasy or legend—allowed the cover artist to depict and the chromolithographer to produce jewel like illustrations on the wrappers. Clowns and crones, kings and princesses, domestic and wild animals, and Levantine and Oriental characters delight the viewer.


Description: [Collection of Seventy-Two c.1900 Spanish Children’s Chromo Chapbooks, many with a New York “Imprint”].

[Madrid, Spain, c.1900]. 72 Chapbooks, each 16pp. 5 x 3½ inches. Chromolithographic illustrated wrappers; stapled. Twenty five chapbooks with rubber stamp imprint of Mrs. John Cuadrado for her “Librería Moderna” or “Librería Moderna Española-Americana” bookstore. Texts in Spanish. One duplicate. Some rubbing to spines; overall, in remarkable condition and fine.

[3726474]

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