Broadsheet relating to a train that derailed in Zacatecas on 18 April 1904, a description in the bottom section continuing on verso after which the words to a song
Medium
Zincograph and letterpress on tan paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 11 13/16 × 7 11/16 in. (30 × 19.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.46.128
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking 1904 broadsheet, created by the renowned Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada in collaboration with publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, captures the dramatic train derailment in Zacatecas on April 18. Printed on modest tan paper via zincograph—a zinc-plate lithography technique ideal for affordable, high-volume production—and letterpress text, it features vivid illustrations of the wreckage alongside a detailed description that continues on the verso, culminating in lyrics to a commemorative song. Posada's signature style, blending sharp satire with folkloric flair, transforms ...
About the Artist
José Guadalupe Posada|Antonio Vanegas Arroyo · 1852–1913
José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) was a Mexican printmaker and engraver who revolutionized popular art and created some of the most iconic images in Mexican culture. Working primarily with publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, he produced over 20,000 images during his career—inexpensive broadsheets sold for a penny on colored paper that made his art accessible to even the poorest workers. He transform...