Revista de Costa Rica en el Siglo XIX

This volume was commissioned by the president of Costa Rica and published in 1902. The Comisión Conmemorativa de Costa Rica en el Siglo XIX worked with various authors to highlight the social history, local customs, and artistic contributions of Costa Rica during the 19th century. The book also covers the history of the Catholic Church in Costa Rica during this period. The goal of this volume was to highlight the many successes of Costa Rica following its independence. The cover depicts a silver angel holding aloft a burning torch inscribed with the Roman numerals XX (20). Behind the angel is a gilded sun and clouds. The sea below the angel reflects the golden rays of the sun and contains a doused torch inscribed with the Roman numerals XIX (19). The imagery of a lit torch has special meaning for Costa Ricans—national hero Juan Santamaría successfully torched an enemy stronghold during the Filibuster War, a tactic that helped the Costa Ricans win the war. The Libraries’ copy of the book was originally part of the Bureau of American Ethnology library.