Physical Description:
Vol. 1: ff. 71 : paper ; 210 x 290 mm. Description:
Paper; ff. i (modern) + 71 + ii (1 contemporary, 1 modern); Vol. 1:
1-5¹² 6¹²(-12); 290 x 210 (220-232 x 105-110) mm. Written in
the hand of the author. Catchwords enclosed in brown ink scrolls in
the middle or right lower margins. Leaf signatures in roman
numerals in the middle of the lower margin; quire and leaf
signatures in a later hand in letters and arabic numerals,
frequently including the seventh leaf of a quire, in the right
lower margin close under the text. 32-38 long lines; vertical
bounding lines ruled in dry point. The manuscript was written
probably in Santo Domingo between 1539-46 and completed in Spain in
1546-48: the dates given in the text are March 1539, in Book IV,
chap. 7 and 1548 in the prologue of Book VI. Illustrated with 24
pen and ink drawings by the author, a few shaded in black lead.
Marginal notes in 3 hands: i, the author's corrections, additions
and directions to the printer; ii, note on f. 49 of vol. 1 made
after 1580; iii, pencilled notes in English in vol. 2 with the book
numbers, probably made by a bookseller. Contents: [Gonzalo
Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés] Historia general y natural de las
Indias. Spanish. In vol. 1, Book VI: Este es el libro que Capitan
Gonzalo Fernandez Fiço de la Natural y General Hystoria de las
Indias ... [f. 1, Prologue:] Poco tiene que hazer ... [f. 2v,
Text:] Capitulo primero del libro ... Bivian los Indios del esta
ysla de hayti ... no deve ser sin misterio y secreto de la natura
el qual yo no alcanço. Fin del presente libro. Notes:
Watermark(s): 2 types of Main, similar to Briquet 10718 and 11244.
A section of Vol. 2 of HM 177 was separated in 1975 and now
constitutes HM 37542. Bound in early 20th quarter brown suede over
marbled boards. Guide to the American Historical Manuscripts in the
Huntington Library (San Marino, Calif. : H.E. Huntington Library
and Art Gallery,1979). De Ricci, S. with the assistance of W. H.
Wilson. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the
United States and Canada (New York 1935-37; index 1940), 61-62.
Hulton, P. and D. B. Quinn, The American Drawings of John White,
1577-1590 (London 1964) 1:31-32. Quinn, D.B. "New Geographical
Horizons: Literature," in First Images of America, ed. F.
Chiappelli (Berkeley 1976) 2:652 and 658. Sturtevant, W.C. "First
Visual Images of Native America," in First Images of America,
1:447-48, with reproduction of HM 177, vol. 1, ff. 4 and 9 in
1:425-26. Subjects:
Discoveries in geography. ; Indians of Central America. ; Indians
of the West Indies. ; Natural history -- Central America. ; Natural
history -- West Indies. ; Shipwrecks -- America. ; America --
Discovery and exploration -- Spanish. ; America -- Early accounts
to 1600. ; Spain -- Colonies -- America. Form/Genre:
Illuminations (Painting) -- Spain -- 16th century. (aat) ;
Marginalia (Annotations) -- Spain -- 16th century. (aat) ;
Manuscripts (documents) -- Spain -- 16th century. (aat) Provenance:
On the first leaf of most books a small section has been clipped
out, possibly to remove some identifying marks, and replaced with
matching paper on which the original text was recopied by tracing.
An early Huntington Library report mentions the presence of the
bookplate of Don Joś́é Colón of Cáceres on the first page of
Vol. 2 (Book IV); it is no longer in the book. The back pastedown
bears a pencilled bookseller's notation "AY 81." Purchased from
Maggs, February 25, 1926.
Rights
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