By Amanda Moreno, October 2012
Title: Blez Family Papers, 1863-1941
ID: CHC5289
Creator: Blez Family
Extent: 1.0 Boxes
Arrangement: The materials in this collection are arranged by type in chronological order within each folder.
Languages: Spanish;Castilian
The Blez Family Papers contain manuscripts, clippings and photographs relating to Felicia Marcé Castellanos and the Blez family.
The Blez Family Papers contain manuscripts, clippings and photographs relating to Felicia Marcé Castellanos and the Blez family.
The collection is divided into clippings, manuscripts and photographs, and correspondence, with materials dating from 1863 to 1941. The majority of materials are related to Felicia Marcé Castellanos, a member of the Blez family whose role in the Cuban independence movements of 1868 and 1895 are documented in the collection.
The Blez family played a role in the Cuban independence movement of 1868. Felicia Marcé Castellanos (1850-1941), widow of Blez, sewed one of three flags commissioned by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes to represent the Cuban independence forces. A native of Bayamo, Marcé made the flag when she was 18 years old, giving the nascent republic a symbol around which people could rally. Soon after making the flag, she was married and almost immediately widowed when her husband was executed by colonial Spanish forces. Marcé was named a “Libertadora Insigne” for her involvement in the Cuban independence struggle of 1868 and 1895. Her son is the well-known Cuban photographer Joaquín Blez Marcé (1886-1974).
Access Restrictions: The collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions: Requests to publish or display materials from this collection require written permission from the rights owner. Please contact chc@miami.edu for more information.
Acquisition Method: Purchased, September 2012.
Separated Materials: One book was put into CHC Books.
Preferred Citation: Blez Family Papers, Cuban Heritage Collection, University of Miami Libraries, Coral Gables, Florida
Processing Information: Processed by Amanda Moreno, October 2012. Edited by Natalie Baur, July 2013.