Por Tierras Santas Y Por Tierras Profanas Impresiones de un Guatamalteco en su Viaje Aldredor del Mundo Durante los Anos de 1922 a 1924
Los Angeles, California: Vincent Printing Co, 1926. 9 x 6", purple leatherette binding with grey lettering and illustration, 250, [2] pp, one color plate, many photo illustrations within text. Title in English translates to "Through Sacred Lands and Through Profane Lands, Impressions of a Guatemalan on His Journey Around the World During the Years 1922 to 1924." A travel narrative by a Guatemalan-American, published in Los Angeles. The author, Jose Moises Deleon Letona, arrived in California in 1925, lived in Los Angeles, and worked as an accountant, according to his 1927 naturalization document. He was a member of the Science League of America, the American Insurance Union, and the Hispanic-American Alliance. The first three chapters cover Letona's journey from Guatemala to New Orleans, his travels through the American northeast, a visit to Niagara Falls, and his border crossing into Canada. The rest of the book covers his travels throughout Europe, to the Holy Land, and to Egypt. Throughout, Letona provides his impressions of the societies he visits, listing statistics, describing social norms and family structures, and providing comparisons to his native Guatemala. A chapter towards the end is dedicated to comparisons of the various countries he visited. Letona wrote for a Central American audience, in order to expose his countrymen to the wider world and inspire within them dreams of travel. Letona writes in his introduction that "If all my countrymen who leave their native land and return to their homes put their own impressions on the pages of a book...[it] would not only give the sensation of things outside, but would also be a stimulus to induce the Central American to be less shy and seek in the lives of other peoples, means that adapt to his own life." He adds in his conclusion that "One of the objectives of this book is to awaken in you the idea of traveling. You, the parents who have resources, send your sons and daughters to study, to work abroad." The book is infused with patriotic sentiment for Guatemala, and includes a poetic ode to the country, as well as a color plate depicting the national bird, the Quetzal. Soiling to covers, wear to edges and spine ends, toning to pages. Item #10275
Price: $850.00