{"id":8647,"date":"2017-02-02T11:58:55","date_gmt":"2017-02-02T11:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.museunacional.cat\/?p=8647"},"modified":"2020-11-06T15:25:12","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T15:25:12","slug":"the-collection-of-the-propaganda-commission-of-the-generalitat-de-catalunya-1936-1939-conserved-in-the-library","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.museunacional.cat\/en\/the-collection-of-the-propaganda-commission-of-the-generalitat-de-catalunya-1936-1939-conserved-in-the-library\/","title":{"rendered":"The Collection of the Propaganda Commission of the Generalitat de Catalunya (1936-1939) conserved in the library"},"content":{"rendered":"
Yolanda Ruiz<\/h6>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Detail of the cover of the book illustrated by Lola Anglada El m\u00e9s petit de tots,<\/p><\/div>\n

On the occasion of the exhibition Romanesque Picasso <\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>in the foyer of the Library<\/a> of the museum, we are exhibiting some documents published by the Propaganda Commission.\u00a0 The Commission, directed by Jaume Miravitlles, was created in Barcelona on 3rd October 1936 and remained active until February 1939.<\/p>\n

The activity of the Commission, as its name indicates, was to spread propaganda and its production in the field of publishing was very notable. \u00a0Throughout its period of functioning, it published around two hundred titles, of which the Library conserves a few, a small representation of everything that was done under the auspices of this organization: some magazines, some books, postcards, etc.\u00a0 Nevertheless, through this article we would like to make them known, given that they represent a direct testimony of a recent period of our history.<\/p>\n

Magazines<\/h3>\n

The Propaganda Commission published various magazines: Butllet\u00ed especial per als absents de la patria <\/em>(\u201c<\/em>Special bulletin for those absent from the country\u201d<\/em>), Comunicat de prensa <\/em>(\u201c<\/em>Press release\u201d<\/em>), Amic: publicaci\u00f3 quinzenal per a esplai del soldat catal\u00e0 de l’Ex\u00e8rcit de la Rep\u00fablica<\/em>, Visions de guerra i de rereguarda <\/em>(\u201c<\/em>Friend: fortnightly publication for the recreation of the Catalan soldier of the Republican Army, Visions of war and of the Rearguard\u201d) etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Portadas de Nova Iberia<\/em>, ilustradas porJoan Commeleran,\u00a0Antoni Clav\u00e9 y Francesc Domingo, respectivamente.<\/h6>\n

In the Library there is a magazine called Nova Iberia<\/em><\/a>, published in Catalan, Spanish, English and French, which was responsible for explaining the activities of the Republican Catalonia within the context of the Civil War.\u00a0 The publication counted on a luxurious edition, with texts written by politicians and intellectuals (Dolores Ib\u00e1rruri, Eduard Fontser\u00e8, Llu\u00eds Companys, Francesc Gal\u00ed, Jaume Miravitlles, etc.) and illustrations of quality produced, amongst others, by Antoni Clav\u00e9, Francesc Domingo and Joan Commeleran. It was first published in 1937, and four issues appeared (in fact three were instalments, but the last was double). \u00a0The one which should have been the fifth issue, which was announced as a graphic report about the Civil War, never ended up appearing.<\/p>\n

Books<\/h3>\n

Among the propagandistic activities of the Commission, the publication of books held a notable place, and for this reason, the editorial production was extensive. \u00a0It was responsible for various collections, among which it is worth mentioning those entitled \u201cBackground and documents\u201d and \u201cAspects of Catalan activities\u201d, with versions in various languages.<\/p>\n

Of the first, twelve titles were published, with a marked politico-social character, written by authors such as Anna Muri\u00e0 Roman\u00ed, Ramon Vinyes, Mari\u00e0 Rubi\u00f3 i Tuduri, amongst others, and of which the Library received La revoluci\u00f3 en els ajuntaments<\/em><\/a> \u00a0(The revolution in the city councils) by Rafael Tasis i Marca, La revoluci\u00f3 i l\u2019assist\u00e8ncia social<\/em><\/a> (The revolution and social care) by Dom\u00e8nec de Bellmunt and La presid\u00e8ncia d\u2019Alcal\u00e1 Zamora i el 6 d\u2019octubre de 1934<\/em><\/a> (The presidency of Alcal\u00e1 Zamora and 6th<\/sup> October 1934) by Antoni Orts Ramos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Covers of the magazine Nova Iberia.<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n

Of the second, the aim of which was to take an in-depth look at the cultural reality of Catalonia, five issues were published, which have become unavoidable references.\u00a0 Of the titles published, the Library conserves the Catalan and Spanish editions of the essay about contemporary Catalan painting written by Sebasti\u00e0 Gasch<\/p>\n

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Catalan version of the essay Contemporary Catalan painting, written by Sebasti\u00e0 Gasch<\/p><\/div>\n

Other publications closely related to the artistic world and promoted by the Propaganda Commission that can be found in our collection are: the French and English editions of a booklet about the actions for safeguarding the Catalan artistic heritage, the work 33 pintors catalans <\/em>(33 Catalan painters) written by Joan Merli and the book L’Art de la Catalogne de la seconde moiti\u00e9 du neuvi\u00e8me si\u00e8cle \u00e0 la fin du quinzi\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, <\/strong><\/em>published by Cahiers d\u2019art on the occasion of the exhibition of Medieval Catalan Art held in<\/strong> 1937 in the Jeu de Paume of Paris. Of this publication, an edition was produced in German (A. Schroll & Coper) and another in English (Heinemann).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The Commission didn’t neglect the propaganda aimed at children and, for this reason, was responsible for the publication of some of the most beloved works of children’s literature during the civil war.\u00a0 El m\u00e9s petit de tots <\/em>(The smallest of them all) written and illustrated by Lola Anglada; \u00a0the children’s edition of\u00a0 the Auca del noi catal\u00e0, antifeixista i hum\u00e0<\/em> (Rhymes of a Catalan child, anti-fascist and human) with drawings by Josep Obiols; 26 proverbios castellanos en acci\u00f3n <\/em>(26 Spanish proverbs in action) illustrated by Llu\u00eds Vidal Moln\u00e9; De quan escrivien les b\u00e8sties<\/em> (When the beasts wrote) written by Manuel Amat and illustrated by Artur Moreno Salvador; Ales humanes: poemes per a infants<\/em> (Human wings: poems for children) with text by Salvador Perarnau and illustrations by Antoni Clav\u00e9, and El senyor p\u00e8sol i altres plantes<\/em> (Mr Peas and other plants) also by Salvador Perarnau, with drawings by Joan Junceda, are some of the examples preserved in the Library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Covers of children’s books published by the Commission with illustrations by <\/strong> Lola Anglada, Josep Obiols and\u00a0Llu\u00eds Vidal Moln\u00e9, respectively. <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Other titles published by the Commission and that belong to the collection of the Library, are: L\u2019oeuvre culturelle des gouvernements de gauche a la Generalitat de Catalogne, Can\u00e7oner revolucionari internacional<\/em> (The International Revolutionary Songbook), \u00a0Poetes russos de la revoluci\u00f3<\/em> (Russian Poets of the Revolution), \u00a0Set mesos i set dies a l’Espanya de Franco<\/em> (Seven months and seven days in the Spain of Franco), <\/em>and Vuit mesos a la delegaci\u00f3 del govern d’Euscadi, a Catalunya <\/em>(Eight months in the Government Delegation of Euskadi, in Catalonia), etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Postcards<\/h3>\n

Finally, we would like to make a mention about a curious collection of postcards produced by the Propaganda Commission, published to visually and graphically strengthen the propaganda activity of the organisation.\u00a0 Three collections are preserved: the first two contain reproductions of posters from the Civil War, and the third, Photographic portraits of politicians during the Second Republic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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More images of the fund of the Library Propaganda in this Pinterest album:<\/p>\n