Gabriela Mistral collection, 1924-1948

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Mistral, Gabriela 1889-1957
Abstract:
The collection consists of artwork, certificates, diplomas, newspaper issues and photographs relating to the Chilean writer and poet Gabriela Mistral (born Lucila Godoy y Alcayata) (1889-1957). Ranging in date from circa 1924 to 1948, the collection highlights the fame and recognition Gabriela Mistral achieved both in Chile and worldwide. The contents reveal her many friendships with artistic and political contemporaries, as well as the many admirers of her work.
Extent:
3 boxes (1.5 linear ft.) 1 oversize box
Language:
Finding aid is written in English.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of artwork, certificates, diplomas, newspaper issues and photographs relating to the Chilean writer and poet Gabriela Mistral. Ranging in date from circa 1924 to 1948, the collection highlights the fame and recognition Gabriela Mistral achieved both in Chile and worldwide. The contents reveal her many friendships with artistic and political contemporaries, as well as the many admirers of her work.

Included in the collection are: numerous images and portraits of Gabriela Mistral, candid photographs that document Mistral's travels and meetings with noteworthy colleagues and friends; correspondence between Gabriela Mistral to her mother; letters, gifts and mementos to Gabriela Mistral; certificates and diplomas honoring Gabriela Mistral, a bulletin of the meeting of the Union Panamericana from 1947, a potential short story by Gabriela Mistral, and an album dedicated to Gabriela Mistral with photographic reproductions of Marina Nunez Prado's sculptural work.

Biographical / historical:

Gabriela Mistral was born Lucila Godoy y Alcayata on April 6, 1889 in Vicuña, Chile –one of the main cities in the valle de Elqui. Her father, Juan Jeronimo Godoy, was a school teachers in latin, greek, philosophy, literature and theology and her mother, Petronila Alcayaga Godoy, was a seamstress.

At the age of 14 Gabriela began working as a teacher in order to help support her mother and family since their father left when Gabriela was only 3 years old. Around this period she was beginning to write and explore other authors and poets. A year after she began teaching Gabriela had her first publication, "El Muerte del Poeta" in the newspaper El Coquimbo. Following her publication Mistral wrote and published several works under various pseudonyms, including Gabriela Mistral.

In 1914 the Sociedad de Artistas y Escritores de Chile awarded Gabriela for her collection of poems titled Sonetos de la Muerte. After receiving national recognition she stuck with the name Gabriela Mistral – a fusion from the names of Italian poet Gabriela D' Annunzio and French poet Fédéric Mistral. She continued to devote herself to education, especially women's education as a teacher and director of a girls' school in Chile. She was later invited to Mexico by the Minister of Public Education, José Vasconcelos, to participate in programming Mexico's national education.

Her writings achieved an international reputation after the publication of her first book Desolación in 1922. She toured the United States, Europe and Latin America establishing friendships with many contemporary writers. During her travels Gabriela published more of her poetry. She returned several times to Chile, but lived primarily in France and Italy. There she was very active with the League for Intellectual Co-operation for the League of Nations. After, Mistral worked as a professor at several prestigious universities in the United States. Later, she became Chile's ambassador and consul while staying in other parts of the world such as Brazil, Spain, Italy, Portugal and a short period in Los Angeles, California. In 1945 Gabriela Mistral received the Nobel Prize –she was the first Latin American to be awarded the prize for Literature. Due to failing health, Mistral stopped traveling and settled in New York where she passed away on December 10, 1957.

Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

  1. Albums
  2. Art
  3. Papers
  4. Photographs

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website