Augustine institute of detente
anil
iltetortcal H>octetp
nr.Htrral Ayres OSTManaging Director San Antonio.Texas.
My dear Mr. Ay res,.
Very few of the old Spanish books we have are illustrated and only one has any colored pictures, this last is a history oi' the army of Spain and was printed many years ago. I looked it over for you not long ago and find it contains one colored flag that is very pretty ,1 am not sure of the date but it is old,Fleur de Lys on a blue ground and a yellow castle at the back end of the flag. This book also contains some colored pictures of Spanish soldiers of various dates including two most curious pictures of the sixteenth century one has very full trousers of yellow ,red trimmings.white ruff around the neck and a queer cap of yellow and red,the other is of the Spanish arquebuser,he wears also a yellow and red uniform with a yellow cape,lined with red and a large hat ,this book is all in Spanish and printed in Spain,so is purely Spanish. This queer uniform is somewhat like that,that DeBry shows in his illustrations of the Spaniards in America in the old German copy we have,printed in Frankford before 1600. This book on the army has many illustrations in black and white. In the Cronicles of Spain printed about 1868 ,we have about seven books are many illustrations in black and white of Spain and events from early days to the time of writing the cronicles of course all in Spanish.We have a set of books with colored pictures of the various images ox the Virgin .these are very interesting anu gave us a picture of the image of Dels. Leche, the name of an old mission here. These images are nearly all of wood ,and dressed in gorgeous silk costumes,jewels etc. In the list or inventory of 1764 ,oi articles belonging to the churches and cofradias of St.Augustine are the clothes and jewels of the images of the Virgin . In our eight vol. Spanish genealogy are illustration in black of various armonial bearings. The Library in New York I cannot remember the exact name .near the Geographical Society , it may be Hispanie-American Society has some genealogies with beatiful colored shields "Bethancourt" i think was the edition. I looked it up also in the Library of Congress ,but their edition did not have the colored illustrations.
I have had relations with me,so have not been as much in our library, ana we are leaving toramorrow for a ten days trip on the west coast,Mrs. Underwood Assistant Librarian could show anything we have if you come before I return. Thank youfor the travelog® ,1 note that the cut of the Oldest House is not in it,I suppose it will be in the larger book.We shall of course v/ant a copy of the fifty cent book when published.
H>t. Sfagustuie Jflorilia
Jan.30,1928
Hoping that I shall he here when you come this Spatinj and you,will find our library of use, I remain, 5^-, _	(\	Z,	'	J
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