Library Receives Rare 1852 Edition of Book

McDermott Library at The University of Texas at Dallas has acquired a rare edition of Mariano José de Larra’s El Doncel de Don Enrique el Doliente: Historia Caballeresca del Siglo XV, Vols. 1 and 2.

The 1834 Spanish historical novel set in the 15th century was donated to the library’s Special Collections by the children of Carolyn Lipshy Galerstein, former dean of the School of General Studies, now the School of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Saralynn Busch represented her siblings Lauren K. Busch, Alan L. Busch and Sue Busch in presenting the book to Paul Oelkrug, head of Special Collections. The donated book is an 1852 edition with highly detailed illustrations. The title page features an oval handstamp in ink reading, “Biblioteca de Salvador María de Fábregues.” From Valencia, Fábregues was an author and member of Spain’s Royal Academy of History in the 1890s. This book apparently came from his personal library.

McDermott Library already has several rare Spanish language books from the Latin American collection of the late Cecil Green, one of the UT Dallas founders.

“The library has a modern paperback copy of El Doncel from 1982, but the donation from the children is purely classical with beautiful illustrations from the early 19th century,” said Oelkrug. “This donation from Mrs. Galerstein’s children strengthens our collection of rare Spanish books.”

The Galerstein Women’s Center at UT Dallas is named after the late educator. UT Dallas also maintains the Carolyn Galerstein General Studies Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies based on financial need and academic performance.

Carolyn Lipshy Galerstein came to Dallas in 1961 and was executive director of the Zale Foundation from 1964 to1967. She was a member of the Spanish Department at UT Arlington before joining the UT Dallas faculty in 1975 as an associate professor of comparative literature. She died in 1988 at age 56.

Larra (1809-1837) was a Spanish journalist and satirist who attacked contemporary society for its social habits, literary tastes and political ineptitude. He had become famous in Spain for two novels under the pseudonyms of Juan Pérez de Munguía and Fígaro before writing El Doncel de Don Enrique el Doliente. The book is a period portrait of the 14th century and tells of conspirators and schemers as the aristocracy attempts to take advantage of political instability. It is filled with varied religious convictions including Jews, and conflicts between Catholic monarchs and Islam.

Larra is considered by many to be the premier Spanish prose writer of the 19th century.