Genaro García was born on August 17, 1867, in Fresnillo, Zacatecas to Don Trinidad García and Doña Luz Valdés. Don Trinidad García operated mineral interests in the state of Zacatecas, and was Secretario de Gobernación (Interior) and Secretario de Hacienda (Treasury) in the cabinet of President Porfirio Díaz.
Genaro García received his primary education in San Luis Potosí, then pursued secondary studies in Mexico City at private schools and at the Escuela Nacional Prepatoria. García entered the Escuela Nacional de Jurisprudencia in Mexico City on January 11, 1887, and completed a six-year course of study in three years and ten months. On February 20, 1891, he passed the professional examination and was licensed as an attorney. García exercised his profession for a brief time, acting as an agent in land dealings in Texas in 1891, serving as
García embarked upon a political career in July, 1892, when he was chosen
García began to collect books at an early age. His efforts to preserve Mexico's documentary history and his love of collecting resulted in the creation of a superb collection of materials relating to Mexico. In addition to being a collector, he was a translator, author, and publisher of historical works, focusing primarily upon the Mexican colonial and independence periods. His translations include
García also published critical articles on such subjects as education and women's rights. He held several teaching posts, including those of professor of literature and ancient costume at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música, professor of history at the Museo Nacional de Historia, Arqueología y Etnología, professor of history at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, and professor at the Escuela Nacional de Jurisprudencia. The highlight of García's public career was his tenure as Director of the Museo Nacional de Historia, Arqueología y Etnología, during which he directed his efforts toward developing the museum's collections, building an esteemed staff, and establishing a fine press. García's last official position was that of Director of the Escuela Preparatoria Nacional, a posting which ended prematurely with a change in government.
After his retirement from public life, García devoted his time to family and business affairs, the enrichment of his collection, and further works of authorship and publication. He died at his home in Mexico City on November 26, 1920, at the age of 53. He was survived by his wife, Concepción Aguirre de García (whom he married on February 24, 1895), and children.
Manuscripts, broadsides, photographs, lithographs, and ephemera, acquired by García during his career as historian and collector of Mexicana. Materials relate primarily to the history of Mexico from the sixteenth through the early twentieth centuries, but also concern Mexico's politics, culture, linguistics, religion, literature, and archeology. In addition to individual historical manuscripts, the collection encompasses entire or partial archives of prominent Mexican political figures, which are assembled into subcollections. Material from other sources has been added to the collection. The collection contains transcriptions from various archival sources.
The materials are almost exclusively in Spanish, although items in other languages, notably Latin, French, and Nahuatl, are included.
Textual materials organized into two subunits, one comprised of archival collections and one comprised of individual manuscripts.
Archival collections arranged alphabetically; individual manuscripts arranged chronologically; non-textual materials arranged by type.
The Genaro García Collection was purchased by the University of Texas in 1921 from the heirs of Genaro García.
Prepared by the Mexican Archives Project
The collection was described by the Benson's Mexican Archives Project in
The collection is also available on microfilm.
Genaro García Collection, Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin
The following guide is available in the Benson Latin American Collection Rare Books Reference:
Documents from the collection were published in:
The subcollections are listed alphabetically by: Subcollection Name, Inclusive Dates [Bulk Dates]