Teodoro Vidal Collection of Puerto Rican History

Explore Puerto Rico’s history, from the 16th to the 20th centuries, through the eyes of collector Teodoro Vidal. Vidal captured the island’s history by collecting thousands of objects. Over 80 artifacts are featured here.

Chickens are a familiar decorative theme in household objects. This contemporary chicken-shaped botijo, or water jug is made of terra cotta with a removable stopper in the form of a chicken head.Las gallinas constituyen un tema de decoración popular en los objetos domésticos.
Description
Chickens are a familiar decorative theme in household objects. This contemporary chicken-shaped botijo, or water jug is made of terra cotta with a removable stopper in the form of a chicken head.
Description (Spanish)
Las gallinas constituyen un tema de decoración popular en los objetos domésticos. Este botijo contemporáneo con forma de gallina está hecho de terracota y tiene un tapón desmontable que representa la cabeza del animal.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1980
ID Number
1997.0097.0082
catalog number
1997.0097.0082
accession number
1997.0097
This mortar and pestle were used to grind coffee beans after they were dried and roasted. Coffee was a major cash crop in Puerto Rico, second only to sugar. It grows well in the low mountains of the island, like the fertile area around the town of Yauco in the southwest.
Description
This mortar and pestle were used to grind coffee beans after they were dried and roasted. Coffee was a major cash crop in Puerto Rico, second only to sugar. It grows well in the low mountains of the island, like the fertile area around the town of Yauco in the southwest. In the 19th century many Corsicans settled in this region and played a significant role in developing the island's coffee economy, both as growers and exporters.
Description (Spanish)
El pilón se usaba para machacar los granos de café una vez secos y tostados. El café constituía un cultivo comercial de gran relevancia en Puerto Rico, el segundo en importancia después del azúcar. Se da bien en las montañas bajas de la isla, como por ejemplo en la zona fértil alrededor de la ciudad de Yauco, en el sudoeste. Durante el siglo XIX se establecieron en esta región muchos colonos oriundos de Córcega, quienes desempeñaron un papel esencial en el desarrollo de la economía de la isla en torno al café, impulsando tanto la producción como la exportación.
Date made
ca 1970
ID Number
1997.0097.0129
catalog number
1997.0097.0129
accession number
1997.0097
This branding iron was used in the 20th century to brand cattle with the letters "HC." While cattle and other livestock were introduced to Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean in the earliest years of Spanish settlement, by the 20th century most land on the island was geared
Description
This branding iron was used in the 20th century to brand cattle with the letters "HC." While cattle and other livestock were introduced to Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean in the earliest years of Spanish settlement, by the 20th century most land on the island was geared towards a cash crop economy based on sugar cane, coffee, tobacco, and other agricultural products grown for export.
Description (Spanish)
Esta marca de hierro se usó en el siglo XX para marcar el ganado con las letras "HC". Si bien el ganado fue introducido en Puerto Rico y el Caribe durante los primeros años de la colonización española, ya para el siglo XX la mayoría de las tierras de la isla se destinaban a cultivos comerciales basados en la caña de azúcar, el café, el tabaco y otros productos agropecuarios sembrados para la exportación.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0138
catalog number
1997.0097.0138
accession number
1997.0097
In Puerto Rico, the traditional center of lace making is the town of Moca. There, lace is made by hand on bobbins and is known as mundillo. Bobbin lace is a complicated process of weaving together different spools of thread held in place by pins.
Description
In Puerto Rico, the traditional center of lace making is the town of Moca. There, lace is made by hand on bobbins and is known as mundillo. Bobbin lace is a complicated process of weaving together different spools of thread held in place by pins. Lace making today is undergoing a resurgence of popularity among a new generation of lace makers on and off the island.
Description (Spanish)
Moca constituye el centro tradicional del tejido de encaje en Puerto Rico. Allí se hace el encaje a mano en bolillo que se conoce como mundillo. El encaje de bolillos es un proceso complicado que consiste en el entretejido de diferentes bovinas de hilo que se sujetan mediante alfileres. El tejido de encaje está recuperando la popularidad gracias a una nueva generación de tejedores dentro y fuera de la isla.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0156
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0156
Lace-making and sewing were more than utilitarian projects. They allowed young girls to express themselves artistically while learning discipline and attention to detail. This embroidered linen and lace pillow sham belonged to Miguel Roses at the turn of the 20th century.
Description
Lace-making and sewing were more than utilitarian projects. They allowed young girls to express themselves artistically while learning discipline and attention to detail. This embroidered linen and lace pillow sham belonged to Miguel Roses at the turn of the 20th century. Bird and flower designs surround the monogram in the center.
Description (Spanish)
El tejido de encaje no se consideraba únicamente como proyecto utilitario, sino también como una actividad mediante la cual las niñas podían expresarse artísticamente, a la vez que aprendían disciplina y atención al detalle. Esta ropa blanca bordada junto a la funda de almohada hecha en encaje pertenecieron a Miguel Roses a comienzos del siglo XX. Se observa el diseño de un pájaro y una flor rodeando el monograma central.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
user
Rosas, Miguel
ID Number
1997.0097.0158
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0158
This tortoiseshell woman's hair comb dates from the 19th century. A precursor to plastics, tortoiseshell and horn were common materials used in combs since they could be made soft and moldable by heating.
Description
This tortoiseshell woman's hair comb dates from the 19th century. A precursor to plastics, tortoiseshell and horn were common materials used in combs since they could be made soft and moldable by heating. As they cooled, they would harden and keep their new shape.
Description (Spanish)
Peine de mujer hecho con caparazón de tortuga, procedente del siglo XIX. Los caparazones de tortuga y los cuernos eran materiales comúnmente utilizados para la fabricación de peines por ser susceptibles a ablandarse y modelarse mediante calor. Al enfriarse, se endurecían conservando la nueva forma.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0305.001
catalog number
1997.0097.0305.001
accession number
1997.0097
Both on the island and in "the States," many working women found jobs in textile mills and garment factories to support themselves and add to their family incomes.
Description
Both on the island and in "the States," many working women found jobs in textile mills and garment factories to support themselves and add to their family incomes. Poorer women took in piecework at home, and were often involved in the labor-intensive production of handmade garments that only the wealthy could afford. Needlework of all kinds-knitting, crocheting, and embroidery-and the use of sewing machines were seen as a material way for a young girl to help support her family.
Description (Spanish)
Tanto en la isla como en "los Estados", muchas mujeres buscaban trabajo en las industrias textiles y fábricas de indumentaria a fin de contribuir con su propio sustento y el de sus familias. Las mujeres más pobres se llevaban el trabajo a la casa y a menudo formaban parte de la mano de obra intensiva que requería la producción de vestimenta hecha a mano, la cual sólo los ricos podían costear. Todo tipo de costura -tejido, crochet y bordado- se consideraba como un modo material mediante el que una joven podía colaborar con el sustento de la familia.
Date made
20th century
early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0593.001
catalog number
1997.0097.0593.001
accession number
1997.0097
These hand-painted playing cards or naipes are from the 19th century. Most playing cards used in Puerto Rico and the rest of Latin America were imported from Spain and were used for both gaming and fortune-telling.
Description
These hand-painted playing cards or naipes are from the 19th century. Most playing cards used in Puerto Rico and the rest of Latin America were imported from Spain and were used for both gaming and fortune-telling. They differ in both number and suits from the standard card decks used in North America.
Description (Spanish)
Juego de naipes pintados a mano del siglo XIX. Los naipes que se usaban en Puerto Rico, así como en el resto de América Latina eran por lo general importados de España y se usaban tanto para el juego como para la cartomancia. Diferían tanto en los números como en las estampas de los mazos de cartas usados en América del Norte.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
publisher
Fournier, Heralio
ID Number
1997.0097.0600
catalog number
1997.0097.0600
accession number
1997.0097
Carved from a single piece of wood, this large and oblong shallow wood platter was probably used for drying coffee or serving sweets in the early 20th century.Este gran plato de madera oblongo y llano, tallado de una sola pieza, se empleaba probablemente para secar café o servir
Description
Carved from a single piece of wood, this large and oblong shallow wood platter was probably used for drying coffee or serving sweets in the early 20th century.
Description (Spanish)
Este gran plato de madera oblongo y llano, tallado de una sola pieza, se empleaba probablemente para secar café o servir dulces al comienzo del siglo XX.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0357
catalog number
1997.0097.0357
accession number
1997.0097
A bellows is a device for pumping air to get a fire started and to make it hotter. This handmade bellows was collected from the Joyería Bairan, a jeweler's shop on Calle Fortaleza in San Juan.
Description
A bellows is a device for pumping air to get a fire started and to make it hotter. This handmade bellows was collected from the Joyería Bairan, a jeweler's shop on Calle Fortaleza in San Juan. This jewelry store produced many silver ex-votos, probably using this bellows in the process.
Description (Spanish)
El fuelle es un artefacto que se utiliza para soplar aire a fin de encender y avivar el fuego. Este fuelle hecho a mano proviene de la Joyería Bairan, una tienda de joyas de la Calle Fortaleza en
San Juan. En esta joyería se han creado muchos milagros de plata, para cuyo proceso de elaboración probablemente se utilizó este fuelle.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
mid 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0517
catalog number
1997.0097.0517
accession number
1997.0097
This elaborately carved oblong bowl is made from the gourd-like fruit of a calabash tree called the higüero.
Description
This elaborately carved oblong bowl is made from the gourd-like fruit of a calabash tree called the higüero. This common material was used in the construction of different types of domestic items, especially in rural areas.
Description (Spanish)
Esta vasija apaisada de elaborado tallado está hecha con el fruto del higüero. Este material se utilizaba comúnmente para la confección de diferentes tipos de utensilios domésticos, especialmente en las áreas rurales. En Puerto Rico, utensilios de este material se denominan ditas.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0882
catalog number
1997.0097.0882
accession number
1997.0097
This cucharón, or ladle, is constructed from a gourd bowl with wood handle. Teodoro Vidal went to great lengths to research and document the objects that he collected.
Description
This cucharón, or ladle, is constructed from a gourd bowl with wood handle. Teodoro Vidal went to great lengths to research and document the objects that he collected. The notes written by him upon acquiring this ladle read, "Hataca, or Jataca (word of Indian origin), large spoon or vessel made of gourd. Often used to get water from the tinajero (water filter). This one was acquired in 1958 in the town of Anasco."
Description (Spanish)
Este cucharón está hecho de una vasija de calabaza con mango de madera. Teodoro Vidal invirtió gran esfuerzo en la investigación y documentación de los objetos de su colección. Las notas que escribió en oportunidad de la compra de este objeto decían "Hataca, o Jataca (palabra de origen indígena), cuchara grande o vasija hecha de calabaza. A menudo empleada para recoger agua del tinajero (recipiente para filtrar el agua). Este objeto fue adquirido en 1958 en el pueblo de Anasco".
Date made
mid 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0955
catalog number
1997.0097.0955
accession number
1997.0097
This contemporary coconut canteen demonstrates dynamic craftsmanship using a variety of materials. The main body is made from a polished coconut incised with geometric designs.
Description
This contemporary coconut canteen demonstrates dynamic craftsmanship using a variety of materials. The main body is made from a polished coconut incised with geometric designs. It is carried in a metal frame with a wooden handle and sealed with a plastic and cork stopper.
Description (Spanish)
Esta cantimplora contemporánea de coco es ejemplo de una artesanía dinámica que recurre al empleo de gran variedad de materiales. El cuerpo principal del objeto está confeccionado de coco pulido con incisiones de diseños geométricos; posee un soporte metálico con asa de madera y un tapón de plástico y corcho.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0956
catalog number
1997.0097.0956
accession number
1997.0097
This basket was bought in Luquillo in 1979. The hanging supports are made of bejuco, processed fiber from the century plant, or maguey. A large metal disk was placed around the top to keep rodents from crawling into it from above.
Description
This basket was bought in Luquillo in 1979. The hanging supports are made of bejuco, processed fiber from the century plant, or maguey. A large metal disk was placed around the top to keep rodents from crawling into it from above. Widely used in rural kitchens, it is called a canestillo in the center of the island and a barandillo in the north.
Description (Spanish)
Esta canasta colgante fue adquirida en Luquillo en 1979. Los soportes están hechos de bejuco, fibra procesada del maguey. Se colocó un disco de metal grande alrededor de la parte superior para evitar que se introdujeran los roedores. Se utiliza mucho en las cocinas rurales y se la conoce como canestillo en el centro de la isla y como barandillo en el norte.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ca 1979
ID Number
1997.0097.1012
catalog number
1997.0097.1012
accession number
1997.0097
This collapsible woman's fan, made from wood and cloth, is painted black to show that the user was in mourning. In the 1800s, regardless of class, most people with families died at home, not in hospitals.
Description
This collapsible woman's fan, made from wood and cloth, is painted black to show that the user was in mourning. In the 1800s, regardless of class, most people with families died at home, not in hospitals. There, the deceased would be laid out in a room for friends and relatives to view the body and pay their respects. Family and friends then carried the coffin to the church and to burial.
Description (Spanish)
Este abanico plegable de mujer, hecho de madera y género, está pintado de negro para indicar que quien lo usa está de luto. A lo largo del siglo XIX, sin excepción de clase social, la mayoría de la gente con familia moría en la casa, no en el hospital. Se los acostaba en una sala donde los amigos y familiares podían ver el cuerpo y presentar sus respetos. Luego la familia y los amigos llevaban el ataúd hasta la iglesia y el lugar del entierro.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
late 19th-early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1037
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1037
This red painted tinware oil lamp was acquired in the town of Lares in 1959. Popular lore says that small oil lamps like this were used by women to meet at night and gossip.
Description
This red painted tinware oil lamp was acquired in the town of Lares in 1959. Popular lore says that small oil lamps like this were used by women to meet at night and gossip. Chisme, means gossip, therefore the lamp was named a chismosa, or gossiper.
Description (Spanish)
Esta lámpara de aceite de latón fue adquirida en la ciudad de Lares en 1959. Es la creencia popular que lámparas pequeñas como estas eran usadas por mujeres que se reunían por la noche a chismear. Por esta razón este tipo de lámparas se llaman chismosas.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1959
ID Number
1997.0097.1067
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1067
Pictured here are a carpenter's hammer and square. Carpentry was considered both skilled and semi-skilled labor. Many carpenters worked independently and traveled the countryside looking for work opportunities.En esta foto se observan un martillo y una escuadra de carpintero.
Description
Pictured here are a carpenter's hammer and square. Carpentry was considered both skilled and semi-skilled labor. Many carpenters worked independently and traveled the countryside looking for work opportunities.
Description (Spanish)
En esta foto se observan un martillo y una escuadra de carpintero. La carpintería se consideraba como mano de obra calificada y semi-calificada. Muchos carpinteros trabajaban en forma independiente y viajaban a lo largo del país buscando oportunidades de empleo.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1130
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1130
This manual coffee grinder from the late 1800s is a mechanized replacement for the mortar and pestle.
Description
This manual coffee grinder from the late 1800s is a mechanized replacement for the mortar and pestle. The covered grinding receptacle empties the ground beans into a wooden box in its base.
Description (Spanish)
Este molinillo de café manual data de fines del siglo XIX y representa el sustituto mecanizado del mortero con mano. Los granos se muelen en el receptáculo cubierto, desde donde se vierten a una caja de madera en la base.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
late 19th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1132
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1132
Teodoro Vidal acquired this smart-looking smoking stand near Mayagüez, on the western shore of the island.
Description
Teodoro Vidal acquired this smart-looking smoking stand near Mayagüez, on the western shore of the island. It was made from local wood at the turn of the 20th century and has three separate containers, possibly for matches, cigarettes, and snuff, as well as space for an ash tray.
Description (Spanish)
Teodoro Vidal adquirió esta elegante mesita de tabaco cerca de Mayagüez, en la costa oeste de la isla. Fue fabricado a fines del siglo XX con madera nativa y tiene tres compartimientos, posiblemente para cerillas, cigarrillos y tabaco, junto con un espacio para cenicero.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
late 19th-early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1145
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1145
This metal pot, used for making guava paste and other sweets at home, was acquired in Rio Piedras in 1953.Esta olla de metal, empleada para preparar pasta de guayaba y otros dulces caseros, fue adquirida en Río Piedras en 1953.Currently not on view
Description
This metal pot, used for making guava paste and other sweets at home, was acquired in Rio Piedras in 1953.
Description (Spanish)
Esta olla de metal, empleada para preparar pasta de guayaba y otros dulces caseros, fue adquirida en Río Piedras en 1953.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1177
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1177
This carpenter's wood planer was bought from Juan Camarón, a cabinet maker from Barrio Obrero in San Juan. It was made by another cabinet maker many years earlier.
Description
This carpenter's wood planer was bought from Juan Camarón, a cabinet maker from Barrio Obrero in San Juan. It was made by another cabinet maker many years earlier. The objects collected by Teodoro Vidal illustrate many aspects of labor and production in Puerto Rico.
Description (Spanish)
Esta cepilladora de carpintero se obtuvo de Juan Camarón, un fabricante de armarios del Barrio Obrero de San Juan, pero ha sido fabricada años atrás por otro artesano de gabinetes.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
user
Camaron, Juan
ID Number
1997.0097.1190
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1190
Sold mostly at craft and folk fairs, toys like this show how artisans on the island have creatively used and re-used rubber, metal, paper, and other natural materials.Juguetes como éste, que se venden en su mayoría en las ferias de artesanías y cosas típicas, son prueba del modo
Description
Sold mostly at craft and folk fairs, toys like this show how artisans on the island have creatively used and re-used rubber, metal, paper, and other natural materials.
Description (Spanish)
Juguetes como éste, que se venden en su mayoría en las ferias de artesanías y cosas típicas, son prueba del modo en que los artesanos recurrían a la creatividad para reutilizar el caucho, el metal, el papel y otros materiales naturales.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
maker
unknown
ID Number
1997.0097.1211
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1211
This intricate handmade lace baby cap dates from the turn of the 20th century and was probably worn for a baby's christening. The baptism of newborns is both a religious and a social ceremony, strengthening ties among members of a community.
Description
This intricate handmade lace baby cap dates from the turn of the 20th century and was probably worn for a baby's christening. The baptism of newborns is both a religious and a social ceremony, strengthening ties among members of a community. Compadrazgo, the special relationship between parents and godparents, is a valued tradition in Puerto Rico and Latin America.
Description (Spanish)
Este intrincado gorro de bebé de encaje data de principios del siglo XX y es probable que se haya utilizado para el bautismo del niño. La ceremonia de bautismo de los recién nacidos tiene una importancia tanto religiosa como social, dado que permite estrechar vínculos entre los miembros de una comunidad. El Compadrazgo, la relación especial entre padres y padrinos, es una tradición importante en Puerto Rico y América Latina.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
late 19th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1229
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1229
This whimsical example of a hand-made tortoiseshell comb, may be in the shape of a whale.Este es un caprichoso ejemplo de peine hecho a mano con caparazón de tortuga, probablemente en forma de ballena.Currently not on view
Description
This whimsical example of a hand-made tortoiseshell comb, may be in the shape of a whale.
Description (Spanish)
Este es un caprichoso ejemplo de peine hecho a mano con caparazón de tortuga, probablemente en forma de ballena.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
late 19th-early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0289.006
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0289.006

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