Dr. Estrella Betances de Pujadas, Courtesy of Juan Pujadas
Earlier this year, library assistant Matthew Santana and I went on a trip to Sleep Hollow, New York to choose books from the vast library of Dr. Estrella Betances de Pujadas (1935-2004), professor, poet, and author of several books.
All of the 244 materials donated to the library.
A close up of the diversity of books donated.
The book donated range from pamphlets, magazines, academic journals, and rare books.
We would like to acknowledge Sam Gonzalez, a neighbor and friend of the Pujadas family for contacting us and letting us know about this amazing personal collection of books, magazines, maps, and many other pertinent materials related to Dominican history and culture.
This collection is unique because it captures Dr. Estrella Betances de Pujadas research interest as well as her family’s personal experience with Trujillo's tyranny represented in her thesis "The influence of Rafael Trujillo in Dominican Literature" in 1991. The scope and historical importance of many of the works in this collection are extraordinary. In fact, her personal book collection will enrich our library’s ability to provide primary and secondary sources to students, researchers and the public interested in Dominican studies as well as support contemporary literature and political history of Latin America and the Caribbean region. Our blog is glad to highlight a few books from her collection:
Soler, y Meriño Mariano A. Flores Tropicales. Madrid: Imprenta. de Bailly-Baillière e Hijos, 1909.
A close up of the title page of Flores Tropicales.
This collection contains several out of print and valuable books such as a first edition copy of Flores Tropicales [Tropical Flowers] (only two printed copies on WorldCat are currently available to general readers). This historic collection of literary essays by poet Mariano A. Soler y Meriño featured a prologue by prominent poet, essayist, and columnist Gastón Fernando Deligne considered one of the great poets in Dominican literature of the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.
One of the most expansive collections of hotel brochures, magazines, programs related to Dominican tourism going as far back as 1939!
The donation contains a program highlighting the Dominican Republic’s participation in N.Y. World’s Fair (1939); and The Fair of Peace and Fraternity of the Free World (Feria de la Paz y Confraternidad del Mundo Libre), an international world's fair that took place during the Trujillo Era in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (1955-56). It also includes postcards and maps of Santo Domingo during the Trujillo Era. In addition, there are Dominican tourism brochures from 1960s and 1970s that display the popular hotels, beaches, entertainment attractions from those decades.
Volumes I, II, and III of Familias Dominicanas.
This set of volumes of the book Familias Dominicanas [Dominican Families] first published in 1967 by Academia Dominicana de la Historia [Dominican Academy of History] was written by Carlos Larrazábal Blanco, a founding member and honorary president of the Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía [Dominican Institute of Genealogy]. These three books are an important reference on the origins of Dominican family surnames and a valuable resource for anyone interested in conducting genealogical research on their family history.
Donated Dominican cookbooks and recipes to the library.
Classic Dominican cookbooks and recipes are also part of the collection:
Bornia, Ligia. La Cocina Dominicana. Santo Domingo: Editora Taller, 1979.
Betances de Pujadas, Estrella. Recipes of Santo Domingo/ Recetas Dominicanas. Santo Domingo: Editora Amigo del Hogar, 1973.
Recetas Dominicanas: Dominican Recipes. Santo Domingo: Ladies Guild of Santo Domingo, 1977.
Henríquez de Pou, Silvia. Mujer 2000: Recetas de Cocina. Santo Domingo: Editora Amigo del Hogar, 1988.
Dra. Estrella Betances de Pujadas’ book of classic Dominican recipes Recipes of Santo Domingo/ Recetas Dominicanas is a welcome addition to our collection. She published the book when she was chair for the Ladies Guild in Santo Domingo who later published their own Dominican recipes in 1979. This book was a second edition republished to raise funds for the “School of Special Education” in Santo Domingo.
These are the books published by Dr. Estrella Betances de Pujadas and available at CUNY Dominican Studies Institute Library:
Betances de Pujadas, Estrella, and Carlos F. Pérez. Origen y proyecciones del Protectoralismo Dominicano. Santo Domingo, República Dominicana: Editora Alfa y Omega, 1979.
Betances, de Pujadas, Estrella. Unos cuentos para padres con sus niños. Santo Domingo, República Dominicana: Editora Corripio, 1980.
Betances, de Pujadas, Estrella. Perico Grillo se va a Nueva York y otros relatos. Madrid, España: Asociación Literaria Calíope, 1999.
Betances, de Pujadas, Estrella. De las entrañas de las criaturas y de la tierra. U.S.: publisher not identified, 1999.
Betances, de Pujadas, Estrella. Desde la sima de lo mundano, hasta la cima de lo espiritual. U.S.: publisher not identified, 1999.
Betances, de Pujadas, Estrella. Entre bromas y entre veras, síntesis y moralejas. Madrid, España: Asociación Literaria Calíope, 2000.
Betances, de Pujadas, Estrella. Asuntos dominicanos: literatura, artes y cultura. U.S.: publisher not identified, 2001.
Betances, de Pujadas, Estrella. Stages of My life. Baltimore, MD.: Publish America, 2004.
Jhensen Ortiz, Librarian