1940s Spanish Historical Figures and Ration Coupons - Group of 12
DESCRIPTION
A remarkable collection of twelve colorful portraits celebrating more than a thousand years of Spanish history, from the Visigothic kings and the great rulers of imperial Spain to celebrated artists, military commanders, and political leaders.
Each illustrated sheet is accompanied by an original-style panel of food ration coupons, creating an unusual combination of historical portraiture and the everyday hardships experienced by the Spanish population during the Civil War and its aftermath. Printed in color with the original perforated coupon divisions preserved, the twelve illustrated sheets offer an engaging survey of Spanish historical identity alongside documentary evidence of the country's difficult postwar years.
The collection features Queen Isabella I of Castile, whose marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon helped establish the foundations of a unified Spanish monarchy; Charles V, ruler of a vast empire spanning Europe and the Americas; Philip II, whose reign marked the height of Spanish imperial power; and Charles IV, who occupied the throne during the turbulent years preceding Napoleon's invasion of Spain. Earlier Spanish history is represented by Reccared I, the Visigothic king whose conversion to Catholicism in 587 helped reshape the religious identity of the Iberian Peninsula, and Hannibal Barca, the Carthaginian commander whose campaigns in Spain preceded his famous invasion of Italy. Other portraits commemorate the painter Diego Velázquez, the military commander Juan of Austria, General Baldomero Espartero, the statesman Antonio Maura, and Eugénie de Montijo, the Spanish-born empress of France. The twelfth sheet displays the historic Spanish coat of arms, crowned and surrounded by heraldic devices.
The reverse sides feature printed food ration coupons from communities throughout Spain, including Melilla, Cádiz, Potes, Caspe, Pereruela, and other municipalities. Dated primarily between 1940 and 1942, the coupons record allocations of basic necessities such as bread, flour, rice, potatoes, olive oil, sugar, beans, and other provisions. Food rationing became an essential feature of Spanish civilian life during the Civil War and continued under Francisco Franco's government until 1952. These locally issued coupons provide a fascinating record of the shortages, administrative controls, and regional variations that characterized the period.
CONDITION
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622