Pine framed 1938 first issue of Mexican Art & Life

MA&L was an English-language periodical published by Mexico’s Departamento Autónomo de Prensa y Publicidad in 1938-1939. Issues cost 15 cents per issue or 50 cents for a year’s subscription. UTSA Libraries Special Collections holds six of the seven issues published.

Mexican Art & Life’s topical content is fairly consistent throughout its brief history. Most issues feature a mix of travel-guide-like promotionals about tourist destinations, articles on artistic practices or traditions, profiles of Mexican artists, and commentaries on social or economic issues, as well as occasional prose or fiction pieces.

The very first issue (Jan. 1938) opens with an effusive paean to Mexico City, highlighting its Aztec history and its many North American firsts