Day of the Dead graphics

Day of the Dead prints

The Day of the Dead imagery the whole world recognizes today was born in the print shop. In the late 19th century, calavera broadsides sold every November for a few cents: a large engraving, an eye-catching title and verses that mocked the living.

These Day of the Dead prints used the skeleton as a universal disguise. Calaveras of dandies, soldiers, cooks, publishers and artists traveled the city on cheap colored paper.

The MUNAG holds complete calavera broadsides, with their original text and typography, and the metal plates used to print them. Seeing them together shows how this tradition was made, image by image.

Explore the related pieces below or search the collection for the word "calavera".