L a t i n A m e r i c a n A n a r c h i s t a n d L a b o u r

P e r i o d i c a l s ( c . 1 8 8 0 - 1 9 4 0

I n t e r n a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e o f S o c i a l H i s t o r y ,

A m s t e r d a m

  I I D C

P U B L I S H E R S

o n m i c r o f i l m

n microfilm

Latin American Anarchist and Labour

Periodicals  c.  1880-1940

International Institute of Social History,

Amsterdam

ÖIDC

P U L I S H R S

 

L a t i n A m e r i c a n A n a r c h i s t a n d L a b o u r

P e r i o d i c a l s ( c .

I D C P u b l i s h e r s a n d t h e I I S H h a v e m a d e a v a i l a b l e o n m i c r o f o r m y e t a n o t h e r e s s e n t i a l

r e s e a r c h c o l l e c t i o n i n t h e f i e l d o f L a t i n A m e r i c a n S t u d i e s : T h e I I S H ' s r e n o w n e d c o l l e c t i o n

o f p e r i o d i c a l s f r o m t h e f o r m a t i v e p e r i o d o f L a t i n A m e r i c a n l a b o u r m o v e m e n t s a n d

a n a r c h i s t g r o u p s . T h i s c o l l e c t i o n c o n a i n s n u m e r o u s r a r e , a n d i n m a n y c a s e s u n i q u e t i t l e s .

C o n t e x t

T h e h i s t o r y o f L a t i n A m e r i c a n l a b o u r

m o v e m e n t s m u s t b e t r a c e d a n d

s t u d i e d w i t h i n i t s s p e c i f i c c o n t e x t .

T h e e a r l y l a b o u r m o v e m e n t s w e r e

c h a r a c t e r i s e d b y t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f

m u t u a l s u p p o r t o r g a n i s a t i o n s . A r t i s a n s

u s u a l l y w e r e s o o r g a n i s e d , o f t e n

t o g e t h e r a l o n g w i t h t h e i r p a t r o n s . T h e

a r t i s a n a l a s p e c t s o f m a n y s e c t i o n s o f

t h e e c o n o m y m a y a l s o e x p l a i n t h e

e a r l y p r o m i n e n c e o f a n a r c h i s t i d e a s .

S t a r t i n g i n t h e 1 8 9 0 s t h e i n f l u e n c e o f

a n a r c h o - s y n d i c a l i s t i d e o l o g i e s

i n c r e a s e d . P i v o t a l t o t h i s s t o c k o f

i d e o l o g i e s i s t h e s u p r e m e i m p o r t a n c e

a t t a c h e d t o " d i r e c t a c t i o n " .

C l a s h e s

Y e t l a b o u r m o v e m e n t s , i n t e r n a l l y

d i v i d e d b e t w e e n r e c e n t i m m i g r a n t s

a n d r e l a t i v e l y p r i v i l e g e d w o r k e r s i n

t h e e x p o r t i n d u s t r i e s , t y p i c a l l y w e r e

d e f e a t e d i n t h e i r c l a s h e s w i t h

e n t r e p r e n e u r s a n d t h e s t a t e . I t w a s n o t

u n t i l t h e c u l m i n a t i o n o f l a b o u r

s t r u g g l e s i n t h e y e a r s 1 9 2 0 - 1 9 2 1 t h a t

t h e f i r s t , m o d e s t i m p r o v e m e n t s i n t h e

o v e r a l l p o s i t i o n o f t h e w o r k i n g c l a s s e s

c a n b e d i s c e r n e d . A t t h a t p a r t i c u l a r

j u n c t u r e i n t i m e , t h e e n l a r g e m e n t o f

t h e i n d u s t r i a l b a s e o f m a n y L a t i n

A m e r i c a n e c o n o m i e s r e s u l t e d i n t h e

i n c r e a s e d i m p o r t a n c e o f a l t e r n a t i v e ,

d i v e r s e n o t i o n s a b o u t l a b o u r i s s u e s .

A l s o , d i s a p p o i n t m e n t w i t h t h e o v e r a l l

l a c k o f r e s u l t s a f t e r s o m a n y y e a r s o f

p r o t r a c t e d s t r u g g l e s m u s t h a v e b e e n a

f a c t o r t h a t c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e

d i m i n i s h i n g r o l e o f a n a r c h o -

s y n d i c a l i s t i d e o l o g i e s a f t e r 1 9 2 1 .

C h a n g e s

T r a d e u n i o n s t h a t c o n c e n t r a t e d o n

p u r e e c o n o m i c i n t e r e s t p r o m o t i o n

c a m e i n t o e x i s t e n c e , s o c i a l - d e m o c r a t i c

a n d c o m m u n i s t o r g a n i z a t i o n s g a i n e d

i m p e t u s a n d C a t h o l i c l a b o u r

o r g a n i s a t i o n s e m e r g e d . T h e p o s i t i o n

t a k e n b y t h e s t a t e t o w a r d l a b o u r i s s u e s

a l s o c h a n g e d . O f f i c i a l u n i o n s w e r e

e n a c t e d a n d t h e f i r s t l i m i t e d s o c i a l

l e g i s l a t i o n w a s i m p l e m e n t e d .

E v e n t u a l l y , t h e 1 9 3 0 s p r e s e n t a

p i c t u r e o f p o p u l i s t , n a t i o n a l i s t a n d

s t a t i s t l a b o u r m o v e m e n t s , w h i c h w a s

t o c h a r a c t e r i s e t h e h i s t o r y o f L a t i n

A m e r i c a t h e r e a f t e r .

E x a m p l e s o f d e c i d e d l y f a v o u r a b l e

r e v i e w s o f t h e c o l l e c t i o n ' s u n i q u e

c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s i n c l u d e :

-   [ t h e

c o l l e c t i o n i s i o f g r e a t i n t e r e s t

t o r e s e a r c h e r s i n v o l v e d i n t h e s t u d y

o f t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f l a b o r

m o v e m e n t s , s o c i a l i s t a n d a n a r c h i s t

g r o u p s , a n d t h e t r a n s f e r o f E u r o p e a n

p o l i t i c a l t h o u g h t t o e a r l y 2 0 t h c e n t u r y

L a t i n A m e r i c a " [ D r . J . R . H é b e r t ,

S e n i o r S p e c i a l i s t i n H i s p a n i c

c o m m u n i c a t i o n t o I D C P u b l i s h e r s ] ;

-   t h e I n s t i t u t e ' s h o l d i n g s c o n t a i n t h e

o n l y s u b s t a n t i a l c o l l e c t i o n o f e a r l y

B r a z i l i a n w o r k i n g - c l a s s p r e s s

a v a i l a b l e i n a r e s e a r c h i n s t i t u t i o n

a n y w h e r e i n t h e w o r l d " [ i n L a t i n

A m e r i c a n R e s e a r c h R e v i e w , 1 9 7 3 : 3 ,

p . 2 9 ] .

M . N e t t l a u

T h e A u s t r i a n a n a r c h i s t , h i s t o r i a n a n d

c o l l e c t o r M a x N e t t l a u ( 1 8 6 5 - 1 9 4 4 )

a m a s s e d t h e m o s t s i g n i f i c a n t

s e g m e n t s o f t h i s c o l l e c t i o n . A l o n g

w i t h a n u m b e r o f l a t e r a d d i t i o n s , t h e y

p r o v i d e a n u n r i v a l l e d r i c h n e s s o f

d o c u m e n t a t i o n p e r t a i n i n g e x p l i c i t e l y

t o t h e f o r m a t i v e a n a r c h i s t a n d

a n a r c h o - s y n d i c a l i s t e p i s o d e

( 1 8 9 0 - 1 9 2 0 ) i n t h e h i s t o r y o f L a t i n

A m e r i c a n l a b o u r m o v e m e n t .

Latin American Anarchist  and  Labour

Periodicals  (c. 1880-1940)

ID C Publishers  and the

  IISH

  have made available  on microform  yet  another essential

research collection  in the field  of  Latin American Studies: The  IISH's renow ned collection

of periodicals

 from  the formative  period

 of Latin American labour movements  and

anarchist groups. This collection contains numerous rare,  and in  many cases unique titles.

Context

The history of Latin American labour

movements m ust be traced and

studied within i ts specific context.

The early labour movements were

characterised by the importance of

mutual support organisations. Artisans

usually were so organised,  often

together along with their patrons.

 The

artisanal aspects of many sections of

the

 economy

  may

 also explain

  th e

early prominence of anarchist ideas.

Starting

  in the 1890s the influence of

anarcho-syndicalist ideologies

increased. Pivotal to this stock of

ideologies is the supreme importance

attached to direct action .

E L  V A M P R O

Clashes

Y et  labour movements, internally

divided

 b etween recent immigrants

an d  relatively privileged workers in

the export industries, typically were

defeated

  in their clashes with

entrepreneurs

 and the

  state.

  It was not

until  the

 culmination

 of

  labour

struggles in the years  1920-1921  that

the  first, modest improvements

  in the

overall po sition

 of the

 wo rking classes

can be discerned. At that particular

juncture  in

 time,

  the

 enlargement

 of

the

 in dustrial base

  of

 many Latin

American economies resulted

  in the

increased importance

 of

 alternative,

diverse notions about labour issues.

Also, disappointment  with  the overall

lack of  results after  so m any years of

protracted struggles must have been

 a

factor  that contributed to the

diminishing role of anarcho-

syndicalist

  ideologies  after  1921.

Changes

Trade unions that  concentrated

 on

pure  economic interest promotion

came into existence, social-democratic

an d com munist organizations gained

impetus and Catholic labour

organisations

 emerged. The positio n

taken

 by the

 state toward labour issues

also changed.  Official  unions were

enacted and the  first  limited social

legislation w as

  implemented.

Eventually, the 1930s present a

picture  of populist, nationalist an d

statist labour mov ements, which was

to characterise the history of Latin

America thereafter.

Examples of decidedly favourable

reviews of the collection's unique

characteristics include:

-  [the collection  is] of great interest

to researchers involved in the study

of

  the development of  labor

movements, socialist  and  anarchist

groups,  and the transfer  of

 European

political thought to early 20th century

Latin America [Dr. J.R. Hé bert,

Senior Specialist  in  Hispanic

Bibliography, L ibrary

  of

  Congress,

communication  to IDC

 Pub lishers];

- the Institute 's holdings contain  th e

only substantial collection of early

Brazilian working-class  press

available  in a  research institution

anywhere in the world [in  Latin

American Research Review,  1973:3,

p. 29].

M.

 Nettlau

The

 Austrian anarchist, historian

 an d

collector  M ax  Nettlau (1865-1944)

amassed the most significant

segments of this collection. Along

with a

 number

 of

 later additions, they

provide an

 unrivalled richness

  of

documentation pertaining explicitely

to the formative anarchist and

anarcho-syndicalist

  episode

(1890-1920)

  in the

 history

  of

 Latin

American labour movement.

 

H i g h l i g h t s f r o m t h e c o l l e c t i o n

G e n e r a l i n f o r m a t i o n

S i z e o f f i l m 3 5 m m

F i l m t y p e

P o s i t i v e s i l v e r h a l i d e

D e s c r i p t i o n s

D e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n s o f t h e c o l l e c t i o n ' s m o s t p r o m i n e n t s e g m e n t s c a n b e f o u n d i n :

E . G o r d o n , M i c h a e l M . H a l l , e t a l . " A s u r v e y o f B r a z i l i a n a n d A r g e n t i n e

m a t e r i a l s a t t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a a l I n s t i t u u t v o o r S o c i a l e G e s c h i e d e n i s i n A m s t e r d a m " ,

L a t i n A m e r i c a n R e s e a r c h R e v i e w , 1 9 7 3 : 3

R . B u v e , C . H o l t h u i s " A s u r v e y o f M e x i c a n m a t e r i a l s a t t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a a l

I n s t i t u u t v o o r S o c i a l e G e s c h i e d e n i s i n A m s t e r d a m " , L a t i n A m e r i c a n R e s e a r c h

R e v i e w , 1 9 7 5 : 1

P . L . d e G r o o r " A s u r v e y o f L a t i n A m e r i c a n m a t e r i a l s : T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a a l I n s t i t u u t

v o o r S o c i a l e G e s c h i e d e n i s i n A m s t e r d a m " , L a t i n A m e r i c a n R e s e a r c h R e v i e w ,

1 9 7 7 : 2

• A r g e n t i n a — C l e a r l y , t h e A r g e n t i n e

l a b o u r m o v e m e n t s w e r e t h e m o s t

p o w e r f u l i n L a t i n A m e r i c a . I n 1 8 9 6 ,

t w e n t y - s i x t r a d e u n i o n s w e r e a c t i v e i n

B u e n o s A i r e s .

S y n d i c a l i s t o r g a n i s a t i o n s i n c l u d e d t h e

F O A ( 1 9 0 2 ) a n d F O R A ( 1 9 0 4 ) . A t a n

e a r l y s t a g e , a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l n e t w o r k

w a s c r e a t e d . I n t h e 1 8 7 0 s , s e v e r a l

g r o u p s f r o m B u e n o s A i r e s w e r e

m e m b e r s o f t h e F i r s t I n t e r n a t i o n a l .

T h e A r g e n t i n e m o v e m e n t h a d a

d e f i n i t e i n f l u e n c e o n t h e i r

c o u n t e r p a r t s i n U r u g u a y , C h i l e a n d

P e r u .

P e r i o d i c a l s i n c l u d e : L a P r o t e s t a , L a

V a n g u a r d i a a n d A c c i ó n O b r e r a .

• B r a z i l —

o r t h e e a r l y p e r i o d , t h e

I I S H c o l l e c t i o n , t h o u g h n o t c o m p l e t e ,

i s t h e f i n e s t i n t h e w o r l d . N e w s p a p e r s

o f b o t h t h e a n a r c h o - c o m m u n i s t s a n d

a n a r c h o - s y n d i c a l i s t s a r e w e l l

r e p r e s e n t e d : 0 E x e m p i o . J o r n a l d o

P o v o ; L a B a t t a g l i a , e t c .

• C h i l e

T h e C h i l e a n l a b o u r

m o v e m e n t s d i f f e r f r o m o t h e r s i n L a t i n

A m e r i c a b e c a u s e o f t h e p r e e m i n e n c e

o f t h e S o c i e d a d e s d e R e s i s t e n c i a . T h e

c o l l e c t i o n a l s o c o n t a i n s n e w s p a p e r s

f r o m t h e m a n c o m u n a l e s :

o r g a n i z a t i o n s t h a t c o m b i n e d m u t u a l

s u p p o r t e f f o r t s w i t h t r a d e u i o n

a c t i v i t i e s , a n d o p e r a t e d o n a t e r r i t o r i a l

b a s e . A l s o o t h e r u n i o n s a r e w e l l

d o c u m e n t e d w i t h p e r i o d i c a l s a s V o z

d e l M a r .

• M e x i c o —

T h e

M e x i c a n s i t u a t i o n i s

s o m e w h a t a t y p i c a l : d u e t o t h e c i v i l

w a r ( 1 9 1 0 - 1 9 2 0 ) t h e l a b o u r

m o v e m e n t s a c q u i r e d a m o r e d i s t i n c t

p o l i t i c a l i n f l u e n c e . T h e g o v e r n m e n t

i n v o l v e d t h e C a s a d e l O b r e r o M u n d i a l

i n t h e w a r ; " R e d B a t t a l i o n s " f o u g h t

a g a i n s t Z a p a t a e n V i l l a -

t h e r e s u l t s

w e r e a m b i v a l e n t .

M u c h o f t h e M e x i c a n m a t e r i a l w a s

c o l l e c t e d b y D i e g o A . D e S a n t i l l a n ,

s t a f f m e m b e r o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l

W o r k i n g M e n ' s A s s o c i a t i o n

( i n t e r n a t i o n a l a n a r c h o - s y n d i c a l i s t

o r g a n i s a t i o n ) .

T i t l e s i n c l u d e : A r i e t e ; R e d e n c i ó n

O b r e r a ; R e v o l u c i ó n S o c i a l ; a n d E l

S i n d i c a l i s t a .

H u u b S a n d e r s ,

I I S H , A m s t e r d a m

S c o p e

I n t e r n a l

f i n d i n g a i d s

E x t e r n a l

f i n d i n g a i d s

O n e v e r y r e e l , t i t l e a n d n u m b e r a r e c l e a r l y s t a t e d

b e f o r e e v e r y n e w p e r i o d i c a l

P r i n t e d g u i d e b y I D C P u b l i s h e r s ( 1 3 6 p p . )

T h i s g u i d e i s a l s o a v a i l a b l e i n e l e c t r o n i c f o r m .

c o u n t r i e s

# o f

t i t l e s :

# o f

r e e l s :

A r g e n t i n a

I n c l u d i n g :

• L a P r o t e s t a

• L a V a n g u a r d i a

4 2 0

1

1

1 2 7

3 1

4 6

B o l i v i a

4 1

B r a z i l

1 4 4

9

C h i l e

7 6 5

C o l o m b i a

4 1

C u b a

4 0

8

E c u a d o r

5 1

G u a t e m a l a

6

1

H o n d u r a s 4

1

M e x i c o

1 4 8

1 6

P a r a g u a y 7

1

P e r u

1 5

3

P u e r t o R i c o 9

3

E l S a l v a d o r

3 1

S u r i n a m 3 1

U r u g u a y

9 9

7

T o t a l 9 8 7 1 8 0

Scope

General information

countries

Argentina

Including:

•

  La

 Protesta

•  La  Vanguardia

Bol iv ia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Cuba

Ecuador

Guatemala

Honduras

Mexico

Paraguay

Peru

Puerto Rico

El Salvador

Surinam

Uruguay

Total

#of

titles:

420

1

1

4

144

76

4

40

5

6

4

148

7

15

9

3

3

99

987

#of

reels:

127

31

46

 

9

5

 

8

 

1

 

16

 

3

3

 

7

180

Size of  film  35 mm

Film type Positive silver halide

Internal On every reel, title an d number are clearly stated

finding  aids before every ne w periodical

External  Printed guide by IDC Pub lishers (136 pp.)

finding  aids This guide is also available in electronic form.

Descriptions

Detailed descriptions  of the collection's most promin ent segments can be  found  in :

E. Gordon, Michael M. Hall, et al.  A survey of Brazilian and Argentine

materials at the In ternatio naal Instituut voor Sociale G eschiedenis  in  Amsterdam ,

Latin American Research  Review 1973:3

R.

 Buve,

 C.

 Holthuis 

A survey of M exican materials at the Internationaal

Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis in Amsterdam ,

 Latin American Research

Review 1975:1

P.L.  de Groor  A survey of Latin Am erican materials: Th e  Internationaal Instituut

voor Sociale Geschiedenis

 i n

 Amsterdam ,

 Latin American Research  Review

1977:2

Highlights  from  collection

•  rgentina -  Clearly,  the Argentine

labour movements were  th e  most

powerful  in Latin America.  In  1896,

twenty-six trade unions were active in

Buenos Aires.

Syndicalist  organisations included the

FOA (1902) and  FORA (1904) . At an

early stage, an international network

w as created.  In the  1870s, several

groups from Buenos

  Aires

  were

members  of the  First International.

T he Argentine m ovement  had a

definite  influence o n  their

counterparts in Uruguay, Chile and

Peru.

Periodicals  include: La Protesta La

Vanguardia  and

 Action Obrera.

  Brazil

  - For the early period, the

IISH  collection, though

  not

  complete,

is the finest in the world. New spapers

of both  th e  anarcho-communists  an d

anarcho-syndicalists  ar e wel l

represented:  O Exempio. Jornal do

Povo; La Battaglia etc.

  Chile - The Chilean labour

movements  differ  from others  in  Latin

America because  of the  preeminence

of

 the

 Sociedades

 de

 R esistencia.

  The

collection also contains newspapers

from  the mancomunales:

organizations that combined mutual

support efforts with trade union

activities,  an d  operated  on a  territorial

base. Also other unions

 a re

 well

documented with

 periodicals

 as V oz

de l

  Mar.

  Mexico - The M exican situation is

somewhat atypical:

 due to the

  civil

w ar

 (1910-1920)

  th e  labour

movements acquired  a more  distinct

political  influence.  The  government

involved  th e

 Casa

 del

 Obrero Mundial

in   th e war; Red Battalions fough t

against Zapata

  en

 Villa

 - the

  results

were ambivalent .

Much  of the  Mexican material  w as

collected  by Diego A. De  Santil lan,

staff  member of the International

Work ing Men's A ssociation

( in ternat ional

  anarcho-syndicalist

organisation).

Titles include: Artete; Redendon

Obrera; Revolution Social;  and El

Sindicalista.

Huub  Sanders

IISH, Amsterdam

IISH, Amsterdam