Related Resources

This page provides a brief introduction to graphic art of Latin America and the Caribbean in the Prints & Photographs Division. It also includes a list of books at the Library of Congress that contain additional context and information about the collections described in this guide. Lastly, it highlights other cultural institutions that might interest patrons seeking photography of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Prints & Photographs Division

The Prints & Photographs Division is not only home to photography of Latin America and the Caribbean but also graphic art. Researchers can use the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog to locate graphic art in the Prints & Photographs Division. Many artworks, however, are only searchable using indexes and card catalogs in the Prints & Photographs Reading Room, so researchers are encouraged to submit an inquiry using Ask-A-Librarian.

The collections include the original printing plates and prints by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, prints by muralists Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, and work representing about 130 other printmakers in the region. Also in the collections are more than 400 drawings by Miguel and Rosa Covarrubias, drawings of the murals in the Hispanic Division by Cândido Portinari, and Chicano artwork by Mario Torero and Barbara Carrasco.The extensive poster collection includes work froms most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Yanker Poster Collection s particularly strong for posters from the region.

Hispanic Division

The Library's Hispanic Division is a primary access point for research related to this region.

Hispanic Reading Room

The institutions listed below have extensive holdings of photography of Latin America and the Caribbean. The list is not comprehensive, so we encourage patrons to also explore the collections of other libraries, archives, and museums.

Archivo General de la Nación (Argentina) External
Located in Buenos Aires, the Departamento Documentos Fotográficos of the Archivo General has an estimated 800,000 images created by the Argentine government, non-governmental institutions, and individuals.
Instituto Moreira Salles (Brazil) External
The Instituto Moreira Salles specializes in photography, music, literature, and iconography of Brazil with cultural centers in Poços de Caldas, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. It holds an estimated 2,000,000 photographs, many taken by leading Brazilian photographers.
Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen (El Salvador) External
Located in San Salvador, the Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen preserves audio recordings, manuscripts, motion pictures, and photography. Its photography holdings document armed conflicts, indigenous communities, and natural disasters, among other things
Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamérica (Guatemala) External
The Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamérica in La Antigua Guatemala is home to La Fototeca Guatemala, which contains an estimated 1,500,000 images depicting Guatemalan history, society, and culture.
Archivo Histórico de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) External
Located in the Ciudad Universitaria, the Archivo Histórico de la UNAM preserves many photographic collections depicting Mexico. Its holdings include the photographic archives of Ricardo Salazar Ahumada, Raúl Estrada Discua, and Manuel Gutiérrez Paredes, among others.
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (Mexico) External
The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia oversees 20 of the 29 photographic archives constituting the Sistema Nacional de Fototecas. The Sistema Nacional as a whole preserves an estimated 2,500,000 photographs by more than 2,000 photographers.
Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin (United States) External
The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin is a specialized research library containing manuscripts, periodicals, maps and, among other things, an estimated 93,500 photographs.
Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley (United States) External
The Bancroft Library Latin Americana Collection contains both textual and visual materials. The latter include drawings, lithographs, postcards, posters, sketchbooks, and photographs, many of which picture Mexico and Central America.
Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University (United States) External
The Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana is home to a Latin American Library. It contains an Image Archive of over 110,500 pictures of countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida (United States) External
The George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida in Gainseville, Florida contain manuscript collections, rare books, and visual materials about Latin America and the Caribbean. University of Florida Digital Collections include Digital Library of the Caribbean and Panama and the Canal, among others.

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.