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D’HARNONCOURT, René.
Mexicana. A Book of Pictures.
First edition. This copy signed on the half-title and with a loosely inserted pencil drawing by d'Harnoncourt with inscription to Mrs. Cotton, "I just found this sketch of Panchito who swindled his aunt. As I know you like Panchito and as this is the only existing likeness of him I feel you ought to have it. Mes tres humble respects, René d'Harnoncourt." Born in Austria and trained as an industrial chemist d'Harnoncourt went to Mexico in 1925 seeking employment. He was soon fascinated by the folk arts of the country and began working for an antiques dealer. In 1929 D'Harnoncourt compiled and lectured on a collection of folk art for the Mexican Ministry of Education and was chosen to prepare the collection which opened in at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1930. This brought him considerable attention, he even had his own radio show entitled "Art in America". In 1936 he was appointed as an administrator of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board and staged one of the first national exhibitions of native-American arts at the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco in 1939. In 1949 he became Director of MoMa and was responsible for the staging of a number of important exhibitions which were seen as widening the remit of that institution. He was also art advisor to Nelson Rockefeller's personal art collection serving as Vice President for Rockefeller's Museum of Primitive Art from its beginning in 1957. His collection of Mexican photographs forms part of the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas.
Quarto. Original pictorial paper-covered boards. 48 full-page illustrations. Slight damping to the lower board and tail of the spine with some consequent making in the gutter and lower margins towards the rear, spine slightly rubbed, a very good copy.
