Contributing to the Identification of Publications from the Dominican, Jesuit, and Franciscan Presses through a Study of Graphic Art in Manila, 1604-1815

Abstract

This article demonstrates the use of graphic art as a source of information. This information, gathered through non-verbal methods, and not available through other methodologies, contributes to the identification of anonymous publications by supporting or prompting reinvestigation of claims by previous scholars. The information was gathered through a chronological cataloguing of various graphic art elements from each press from the start of letterpress printing in the Philippines to 1825. The elements are categorized into (1) iniciales grabadas or decorative initials, (2) viñetas or printers decorations, (3) orla bordadas or border decorations (4) risos xilográficos or xylographic headers, and (4) laminas or copperplate prints. Organizing these graphic art elements in this manner presents the frequency of use of distinct elements over time. The article provides a timeline of the arrival and use of art movements that influenced decorative graphic art in Manila. Based on the catalogue, a narrative of the use of graphic art elements of the Dominican, Jesuit, and Franciscan press is presented, along with comparisons of elements from known presses to prints from unidentified presses.