Abstract

BENEDICT, Nora C.. The (Aesthetic) Precursors of the Fondo de Cultura Económica’s Breviarios Collection. Bibliographica [online]. 2020, vol.3, n.1, pp.103-132.  Epub Dec 09, 2024. ISSN 2594-178X.  https://doi.org/10.22201/iib.2594178xe.2020.1.62.

The Breviarios is one of the Fondo de Cultura Económica’s [Economic Culture Fund] most prominent and successful collections. Without a doubt, the physical and intellectual quality of each volume in the series completely transformed the publishing industry in Latin America. In order to better understand the impact and origins -both aesthetic and educational- of the collection itself, I will examine a series of its global precursors. In particular, I will analyze various international collections since the first half of the 20th Century, from those of Albatross Press and Penguin Books to those of Emecé Editores, for their form and content. In addition, I will compare and contrast the artistic and publishing strategies of those forerunners in an effort to stress the originality of the Breviarios.

Keywords : Book history; Fondo de Cultura Económica; global publishing industry; book design; book collection.

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