Page (flyer) from the periodical 'Gaceta Callejera' relating to the death of General González in Chapingo on 8 May 1893

Art Historical Context

This striking page from the Mexican periodical *Gacetalejera* ("Street Gazette") captures a moment of national drama: the death of General González Chapingo on May 8, 1893. Produced by publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo and renowned engraver José Guadalupe Pos, it exemplifies the vivid broadsides—inexpensive flyers blending news, ballads, and illustrations—that informed and entertained Mexico's working-class public during the Porfiriato era. on modest buff paper, the sheet measures about 16 by 12 inches, perfect for street vendors to hawk amid urban bustle. Posada's masterful type-metal engraving and letterpress technique shine here, with bold, expressive lines depicting men, death, and military figures in a stark, folkloric style. His work, rooted in 19th-century Mexican popular printmaking, often infused tragedy with a touch of the macabre, foreshadowing the satirical calaveras (skeletons) that would define Day of the Dead imagery. These prints were revolutionary for their accessibility, democratizing art and journalism in an age before mass media. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, 1946), this flyer offers a window into Mexico's turbulent politics and Posada's enduring legacy as a pioneer of graphic storytelling. A poignant relic of 1893's headlines!