Los Primeros Libros

The Impresos Mexicanos del Siglo XVI project will build a digital collection of the first books printed in Mexico before 1601. These monographs are very important because they represent the first printing in the New World and provide primary sources for scholarly studies. Approximately 220 unique titles are held in institutions around the world. While it is a specific goal to acquire at least one example of each unique surviving imprint, it is important to acquire as many copies as possible since marginalia, typographical variants, ownership marks, and other copy-specific attributes are often critical for interpretation and other purposes. Institutions in the United States and Mexico hold most of these first books.