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

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 tragedy into accessible public narrative. In early 20th-century Mexico, under Porfirio Díaz's modernization drive, railroads symbolized progress yet exposed perilous realities, as seen in this disaster. Posada and Arroyo specialized in "corridos ilustrados"—illustrated ballads hawked on streets—making news of calamities like Zacatecas instantly shareable among the working class. The zincograph medium allowed Posada's dynamic, skeletal-infused imagery (though not specified here, emblematic of his oeuvre) to reach wide audiences cheaply, preserving oral traditions in print. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this piece exemplifies Posada's cultural legacy: democratizing art to critique society, blending horror with melody for enduring resonance. Visitors, imagine street vendors crying these tales—art as urgent journalism!

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...