History of Books and Printing

New Mexico / Southwest

Printing came relatively late to New Mexico, with the first printing press being brought down the Santa Fe Trail from Missouri to Taos by Father Antonio José Martinez in the 1830s. Several of Martinez' publications are held. See: Publications 1835-59Ortografia de la lengua Castellana (Taos, 1837); The Retorica (Taos, 1836?); Leyes y axiomas del derecho traducidos de latin al castellano (Taos, 1838 or 1839).

Also of interest is the Laguna Mission Press Collection, 1879-1906. Started by Presbyterian missionary Dr. John Menaul, the press was the first to be located on an Indian Pueblo.

Gaspar Pérez de Villagrá, Historia de la Nueua Mexico (1610). An epic poem chronicling Juan de Oñate’s colonization of New Mexico. The first appearance of New Mexico in literature.

Pat Garrett, The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid (Santa Fe, 1882). Rare publication printed by a local newspaper office.

Taos Wood Blocks Collection, 1924-1982. Original blocks and prints associated with Willard "Spud" Johnson of Taos, New Mexico. The blocks are predominantly southwestern in nature and include pueblo architecture, churches, landscapes, Native Americans, cowboys, Taos literati (Mabel Dodge Luhan, D. H. Lawrence), animals, religious iconography, etc.

Southwest Travel Literature Collection and New Mexico Magazine. Various examples of early Southwestern illustration and graphic design. 

Tamarind Institute Records, 1959- . Records of the world-renowned lithography workshop located in Albuquerque since 1970.

Ward Hicks Advertising Printing Samples, 1933-72. An Albuquerque-based business.

La Verdad (Santa Fe 1844-45). First newspaper printed in New Mexico, while it was still a province of Mexico. (Microfilm only.)

Santa Fe Republican (1847). First newspaper printed in New Mexico after U.S. annexation. In English and Spanish. (Microfilm only)

Albuquerque Daily Journal (print copies, 1880-82). Albuquerque's first successful daily newspaper. (The city's very first daily newspaper, The Golden Gate, also founded in 1880, is available on microfilm.)

New Mexico Press Women Records, 1949-2009

Early newspaper articles about New Mexico (1846-87). Clippings from various Eastern and Mexican newspapers.

The Cactus (1895), first UNM newspaper, forerunner of the Daily Lobo.

The Mirage (1898), first UNM yearbook

University of New Mexico Press Records, 1933-2002

For works related to New Mexico fine presses, see the section on Fine-Press Printing.