Devotional Handbills: Religious Ephemera for the Faithful
Mexican religious materials in Bridwell Library include forty-six devotional broadsides printed on thin China paper in San Miguel de Allende between 1881 and 1926. Almost all of the handbills in this colorful collection are illustrated and present a sonnet, most often in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Many include instructions on the posting and use of the handbill as well as dates for church services. Thus, these ephemeral printings served as both an aid for individual devotion, focusing on a combination of image and text, as well as an invitation to community worship and ritual. On display are handbills printed between 1881 and 1899.