Bullfighting treasures

Mencía Figueroa and Ignacio Álvarez

ISBN: 978-84-95241-44-3

Year: 2005

Pages: 192

Illustrations: 267

Binding: in hardcover

Size: 24 x 30 cm

Published by: Madrid, El Viso Editions

This catalog presents a carefully selected selection of two hundred objects from the exceptional bullfighting collection of Luis Carmena Millán (1845–1904), one of the greatest bullfighting bibliophiles of the 19th century. His library, containing more than 1,800 items—including books, posters, magazines, prints, and miscellaneous objects—was acquired in 1903 by Archer M. Huntington, founder of the Hispanic Society of America. After Huntington's death in 1955, the collection became part of the institution's holdings. Although it was first exhibited in 1961, a catalog was never published until now. This edition commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of its incorporation into the Hispanic Society and also includes bullfighting works from the institution's original holdings. The edition and cataloging were carried out by Mencía Figueroa, while the introductory text, a brilliant historical summary of bullfighting, is by bullfighting chronicler Ignacio Álvarez Vara, known as "Barquerito." The volume combines scholarship, history, and art surrounding the world of bullfighting.