Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno Collection
General International Standard for Archival Description
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Peter A. Nelson. 2009-03-05
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Creation of Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno Collection
Time of Creation of Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno Collection
1 archives box, 2 flat photographs boxes
Cuéllar Vizcaíno, Manuel.
Biographical History for: Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno Collection
Biographical Note Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno was born at an old plantation in Ranchuelo, Cuba, in 1899. According to his grandson Ruben, it was there that his talents as a writer and teacher first emerged when he improvised a school to teach others how to read and write. Throughout his life, Manuel Cuéllar held various jobs in different parts of Cuba. He worked in the sugar cane fields, was a chauffeur, stevedore, teacher, and reader for other workers at tobacco and shoe factories in the Santa Clara and Cienfuego provinces. As a vulcanizer in Camagüey, Cuéllar met the poet Nicolas Guillén, and as a member of the Federación Nacional de Sociedades (National Federation of Societies) in the late 1920s, he engaged in social work also in the neighboring Haiti. In the early 1930s, Cuéllar joined the Communist Party in Cuba and fought against President Gerardo Machado, being arrested after seizing the village of Fomento with Gerardo Meneses. In 1936, however, he decided to devote himself completely to journalism and social work. Through his writings and public service, Manuel Cuéllar became a voice against racial discrimination in Cuban politics, art and culture. He used to say that "he was Maceo, not Martí," identifying himself with Antonio Maceo, the black military commander who engaged in both the 1868 and 1895 wars of independence in Cuba. Unlike many black activists of his time, Cuéllar promoted the African influence on Cuban culture. In Havana, for example, he founded the radio program Sensemayá, featuring African drums for the first time along with presentations by Eusébia Cosme, Juan Luís Martín, Nicolás Guillén and Fernando Ortiz. He wrote columns for many publications such as the magazines Revista Bohemia, Renovación and Sensemayá, and the newspapers Avance, Pueblo, Tiempo en Cuba, El Noticiero and El Día. Among his most important books are Unas Cuantas Verdades (1944), Código de Moral del Sargento Político (1948), Leituras Criollas (1955), and Doce Muertes Famosas (1957). Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno died in Havana in 1988.
This collection was purchased for the Latino Collection through the mediation of Professor Ilán Stavans in 2003. The documents were originally acquired by the scholar Ivor Miller during a research trip to Havana, Cuba, where he interviewed Manuel Cuéllar's grandson, Ruben Perez-Cuéllar.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The collection consists of books, magazines, manuscripts, speeches, news clippings and photographs that document Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno's career as a Cuban writer and teacher, chiefly from the 1940s through the 1950s. All of the materials are in Spanish.
There is no restriction on access to the Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno Collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.
Requests for permission to publish material from Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno Collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Latino Collection: Antonio Benítez Rojo Papers, 1957-2002 Alicia Borinsky Papers, 1972-2005 Sandra Cisneros Collection, 1984-2001 Jeffrey Davidow Papers, 1993-2003 Martín Espada Papers, 1957-2003Fayad Jamis Collection, 1959-1987 Ivor L. Miller Papers, 1900-2005 (bulk 1990-2005) Ilan Stavans, Videotapes of "Conversations with Ilan Stavans," 2001-2006 Other Collections: Marshall Bloom (AC 1966) Alternative Press Collection, ca. 1967-1992
Procesed by Isadora Moura Mota, January 2009. In processing, the collection was organized by subject into four series which cover the period 1909-2002. Most of the information in this finding aid comes from Manuel Cuéllar's notes and his grandson Ruben's recollections.
Blacks -- Cuba -- Social life and customs.
lcsh
Race discrimination -- Cuba.
lcnaf
Miller, Ivor.
Perez-Cuéllar, Ruben.
series
Series 1: PUBLISHED WRITINGS, 1940s-1957 Books and chronicles published by Manuel Cuéllar in Havana during the 1940s and 1950s.
"Celofán Pin-Pon y... Algo Más". Havana, 48 pp. 1940s
"Código de Moral del Sargento Político." Havana: Imprenta B. Perez, 24 pp. 1944
"Unas Cuantas Verdades." Havana: Imp. y Librería Nueva, 63pp. 1948
"Lecturas Criollas." Havana, 44 pp, illustrated. 1955
"12 Muertes Famosas." Havana: Editorial Sanchez, 228 pp. (Fragile) 1957
Series 2: MANUSCRIPTS, 1953-2002 Includes a speech delivered by Manuel Cuéllar in 1953, a compilation of his bibliography, an unpublished manuscript, and an interview taped by the scholar Ivor Miller with Manuel Cuéllar's grandson, Ruben Perez-Cuéllar.
"Aproximación a la Bibliografía del Periodista Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno," compilation by Araceli García-Carranza, 36 pp. Copies of all the cited works of Manuel Cuéllar are housed at the National Library of Cuba. n.d.
"La Séptima Era Atomica," 2 pp. n.d.
"Presentación de Cuellar Vizcaíno por el Sr. Carlos Collazo, presidente de Redención Sport Club, en el acto celebrado por dicha sociedad" (Presentation given by Cuéllar at the Redemption Sport Club, under the auspices of its president, Mr. Carlos Collazo), 39 pp. 1953 Jan 9
Interview with Ruben Perez-Cuéllar by Ivor Miller - tape recording 2002 Jun 28
Series 3: NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE CLIPPINGS, 1946-1958 A collection of articles written either by Manuel Cuéllar or about his professional life.
!Ya! Semanario Nacional ("Celofan", colum by Manuel Cuéllar); 4 illustrated editions. 1946
Various articles:Del problema negro en los Estados Unidos (1950). Diario de la Marina, "Armonias" column by Gustavo E. Urrutia;El vodu en Haiti (1950s). Diario de la Marina, by Remy Bastier;Dos aspectos del acto inaugural de la Hora Sensemayá (n.d.), news clipping with picture of the inauguration of the radio program directed by Manuel Cuéllar at the CMCG station;Revisión (1953 Aug), monthly publication of the "Movimiento de Integración Nacional" and section of the Amanecer magazine;1000 Noticias en Sepia (1955 Feb 11 - column by Felipe Elosequi), Medio son, and Cantaliso en Ataja, unidentified newspaper;Homenaje a Cuellar Vizcaíno por sus 33 años en la prensa. (1956 Aug 1) News clipping with picture of the homage to Manuel Cuéllar for his 33 years of work as a journalist, Pueblo, Havana;Lucido homenaje a los cronistas ofreció el comité contra la discriminación racial. (1957 May 20) Prensa Deportiva, Havana;Los lucumies, leyenda y religión. Puntos de convergencia entre las creencias de áfrica y de Occidente. (1958 Mar 19) El País, Havana; 1950-1958
"Aire Libre" column, written by Cuellar for the newspaper Pueblo, Havana; 10 articles. 1956-1958
Receipt of donations to the magazine Revista Sensemayá ("Folklore, art, literature, sociology, politics and revolution"), edited by Manuel Cuéllar. 1946
Magazine clippings:Del Folklore Cubano. Un bembé. (n.d.) Article by Manuel Cuéllar for an unidentified magazine, 5 pp.Santa Barbara, barbara. Leblanc y Chango.(n.d.) Article by Manuel Cuéllar for an unidentified magazine, 3 pp. Los Espíritus o "diablitos" de los ñáñigos (n.d.). Article by Fernando Ortiz for an unidentified magazine, 4 pp.
Series 4: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1909-1972 This series documents the highlights of Manuel Cuéllar's professional life as a writer, journalist, teacher, and activist against racism and in favor of the dissemination of Afro-Cuban culture in Cuba. Half of the pictures allegedly depict the first fashion show for black women ever held in Cuba.
Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno as a young man. Photo dedicated to his mother in Camagüey. 1919
Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno (mid-life); 6 pictures. n.d.
Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno as a young man. Photo dedicated to "his hermanos Nico, Anetina y gajos" in Cienfuegos. 1938 Oct 3
Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno with his daughter, Nancy Cuéllar and his grandson, Ruben Pérez Cuéllar. n.d.
Manuel Cuéllar Vizcaíno and the U.S. Envoy to Cuba, Charleston Bill; 4 pictures. n.d.
Martha Jean-Claude, Haitian singer. 1953 Nov 15
Nicolas Guillen (left), Virginia Archer, Manuel Cuéllar's wife (center) and Martha Jean-Claude (right). n.d.
Martha Jean-Claude, Haitian singer (center). n.d.
Martha Jean-Claude, Haitian singer. n.d.
Eusebia Cosme, interpretor of Afro-Antillian verse. 1936
Nicollás Guillén, Cuban poet. 1972 Jun 12
Manuel Cuéllar (center), Virginia Archer (to his right). Event in celebration of Cuéllar's 33 years of work as a journalist. Salón Amletto of the Hotel Sevilla, Havana. 1956 Jul 31
Nigerian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. On the right is Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Prime Minister of Nigeria. 1960 Oct 10
15-year-anniversary of Manuel Cuéllar's daughter at the Club Marbella, in East Havana. Virginia Archer and his daughter are shown to his left. n.d.
Manuel Cuéllar at a school (in the backgroun with glasses) during the "Festival de la Juventud Estudiante." n.d.
Manuel Cuéllar doing a reading probably at the Revista Bohemia, where he worked as a journalist. n.d.
Manuel Cuéllar speaking at conferences; 2 pictures. n.d.
Cleveland G. Walker, Mayor of Kingston; Lester Herbert Crooke, Justice of the Peace; Peter Stephens, English Consul; Rene Dolz, Secretary of Tourism; Justo Luis Pozó, Mayor of Havana; Aida Rodriguez Sarabia; Secretary of Beaux Arts. n.d.
Political meeting before the Revolution of 1959 in Cuba (Cuéllar is the fourth from the right). n.d.
Manuel Cuéllar in the background (with glasses). After 1959
Nicolás Guillén (third from left) and Manuel Cuéllar (third from right) at the Salón de la Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC). n.d
Political meeting prior to the Revolution of 1959 held probably at the Presidential Palace in Havana; Manuel Cuéllar is the third person on the left. n.d.
Unidentified photos n.d.
Black women fashion show at the Club Atenas in Havana; 43 pictures by Enrique Llanos. ca. 1950s