A New and Fresh English Translation of the Letter of Columbus Announcing the Discovery of America
The story
Samuel Eliot Morison’s 1959 pamphlet translates Columbus’s first-voyage announcement and reproduces parts of the historic 1493 letter as facsimiles.
Issued in Madrid by Carlos Sanz and printed by Gráficas Yagües, this short work presents a new English translation of Columbus’s account of the Atlantic crossing and initial discoveries. Morison was an American historian of maritime exploration. A blue-ink note on the verso facing the introduction appears to read 'MAAG-Spain / 16 Oct. 59,' flanked by two stylized, unidentified marks. The U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group was active in Spain in 1959, making a contemporary association plausible, but the previous owner, writer, and any connection to Morison are unverified. Its historical letter is reproduced, not an original 1493 artifact.
Details
- Date
- 1959
- Publisher
- Carlos Sanz / Gráficas Yagües, Madrid
- Binding
- wrappers
- Condition
- Cream folded/stitched printed wrappers with minor soiling and bumped corners, blue ink notation on early page; facsimile interior shown, but total 16 pages unverified.
- Inscription
- Handwritten dated note, approximately '... Spain / 16 Oct. 59 / ...' (initials unclear, not attribution)
