Manuscript Collection: Andres Bernaldes
Collection Overview
Collection summary derived from "Guidebook to Manuscripts", 1969: Relating to the history of Spain, particularly during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, this volume was written by a Spanish curate by the name of Andres Bernaldes. It includes the first transcriptions of Columbus' own accounts of his voyages of discovery in the New World. This rare history was one of many important documents purchased from A.S.W. Rosenbach and Sons by Thomas Gilcrease. It was obtained in 1930 and is one of eleven known copies in Spain, Mexico, and the United States. These copies were located by Dr. C. L. Strout, Professor of Languages at the University of Tulsa. The Gilcrease Library has microfilm copies of all of the copies of the Codex including one owned by Harvard University. Interesting item: In one passage about Columbus, Bernaldes writes: "He was my guest and left me some of his writings in the presence of Don Juan da Fonseca, from which I copied and abridged them with others which the honorable Dr. Alvarez Chanca and other noble gentlemen wrote, who were with him on the voyages already related, who wrote what they say; from which I was informed and wrote this about the Indies as being a marvelous and heroic thing. The chapters concerning Columbus have been transcribed and translated by Dr. Strout.
Access Restrictions
Available by appointment only at the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR) with the exception of materials with donor restrictions. Contact Library staff in advance to inquire if materials exist pertaining to your research interests.
Use Restrictions
Please contact the Rights and Reproduction Department for information on publishing or reproducing materials included in these records. Permission will be granted by the Gilcrease Museum as the owner of the physical materials, and does not imply permission from the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all necessary permissions from the copyright holder.
Provenance
The Gilcrease Foundation acquired these materials before 1964 and is housed in the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR). The library currently receives most materials through community donation, board members, artists and the acquisition of manuscript collections.
Staff, interns, and volunteers of the Thomas Gilcrease Library and Archive have contributed to the organization and maintenance of the files since the collection passed to the City of Tulsa in the 1950s.