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Division of Community Life Dissertation Series: Lange, Yvonne: "Santos: The Household Wooden Saints of Puerto Rico,"

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Catalog Data

Creator:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life  Search this
Lange, Yvonne, 1918-2003 (Director Emerita, Museum of International Folk Art)  Search this
Names:
Vidal, Teodoro  Search this
Extent:
0.66 Cubic feet (2 boxes, 4 volumes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Dissertations
Religious objects
Place:
Puerto Rico
Date:
1975
Scope and Contents note:
One copy in four volumes (872 pp.) of the typescript of Lange's dissertation "Santos: The Household Wooden Saints of Puerto Rico (1975)" by Yvonne Lange. The dissertation, written for the Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania, attempts to analyse the phenomenon of the "santos" by describing its major features and to explain its existence through the historical, socio-economic, and religious factors that influenced it. This work is illustrated with photographic prints, most of which were taken by the author, mounted on text pages. Some of the santos described and illustrated are from Smithsonian collections, including the Teodoro Vidal Collection.
Biographical/Historical note:
"Santos" is a term used in Latin America to describe the locally made wooden sculptured representations of the Roman Catholic celestial hierarchy. In the nineteenth century this form of folk art developed in the central highlands of Puerto Rico. These cheerful images were deeply revered by the peasant farmers as the embodiment of an invisible and powerful presence which brought sympathetic feeling and fellowship to the community.
Provenance:
Yvonne Lange,Museum of International Folk Art, Museum of New Mexico, gift,2/21/86
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Religion -- Puerto Rico  Search this
Idols and images  Search this
Folk art  Search this
Christian saints  Search this
Art -- Collecting and Collectors -- Puerto Rico  Search this
Santos (Art)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Dissertations
Religious objects -- Puerto Rico
Citation:
Division of Community Life Dissertation Series: Lange, Yvonne, Santos: The Household Wooden Saints of Puerto Rico (1975), AC NMAH
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0197
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep846bfbaf7-5cf9-41a2-9896-6479ba55a915
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0197