Mesoweb Publications
The Olmec Notebooks of Miguel Covarrubias
Michael D. Coe
During the summer of 1968 I was in Mexico
City with my wife and children, studying
and classifying the large collection of pottery
!"#$%&'"((%)(*)#+)%#!%,(-.%(/0*1*&2#+%*&%&'(%
Olmec site of San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan. We
3("(% 4#2+(.% &'("(% *&% )#$(% 5#2+&% 67% 8*12.%
Joralemon, an undergraduate student in my
courses at Yale, who was thinking about do-
ing a project on Olmec iconography for his
senior year (1968-1969).
I had already met George Pepper and
'2)% 32!(% 9(*++(&&(:% 3'#% 3("(% &'(+% -212+;% 2+%
Mexico City, and we had become friends.
<(#";(%'*.%5"(12#=)-7%6((+%*+%2+.(5(+.(+&%
,-$%5"#.=0("%2+%>#--73##.%*+.%'*.%6((+%*%
&*";(&% #!% &'(% >#=)(% ?+@A$("20*+% A0&212&2()%
B#$$2&&((%C>?ABD%.="2+;%&'(%E0B*"&'7%("*F%
G#%*1#2.%6(2+;%)("1(.%*%)=65#(+*%67%>?AB:%
'(%*+.%9(*++(&&(%'*.%H(.%C32&'#=&%5*))5#"&)D%
to Mexico, joining a small cohort of other
,-$% 2+.=)&"7% -(!&2)&)% 3'#% '*.% 6((+% 5-*0(.%
#+% &'(% !*$#=)% C#"% 2+!*$#=)D% >#--73##.%
Blacklist. Safe in Mexico, George had two
2012 MesowebU%333F$()#3(6F0#$VB#(VB#1*""=62*)F5.!F
0*"((")F% A)% *% ,-$% 5"#.=0(":% '(% 0#--*6#"*&(.%
with the Spanish director Luis Buuel on the
,-$% IJ#62+)#+% B"=)#(KL% *)% *+% *"&% .(*-("% '(%
sold paintings and drawings by well-known
Mexican artists such as his friend Miguel
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particularly Preclassic material from sites like
Tlatilco and Tlapacoya.
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spoke to me about the Olmec notebooks that
B#1*""=62*)%'*.%6((+%O((52+;%#1("%*%5("2#.%
of years. I had long heard rumors about them,
but no one seemed to know what had hap-
5(+(.%&#%&'($L%&'(7%)(($(.%&#%'*1(%1*+2)'(.%
into thin air. This is the story that George told
me:
8="2+;%&'(%-*)&%7(*"%#"%&3#%#!%B#1*""=62*)P%
-2!(:%'(%*+.%'2)%A$("20*+%32!(%J#)*%B#3(--%'*.%
6(0#$(%)("2#=)-7%()&"*+;(.:%5*"&20=-*"-7%#1("%
'2)%-#1(%*!!*2"%32&'%J#0Q#%R*;*S+:%&'(%6(*=&2-
ful young prima ballerina of the National
T*--(&% #!% E(/20#% C#!% 3'20'% B#1*""=62*)% 3*)%
82"(0&#"DF% >(% '*.% $#1(.% $#)&% #!% '2)% 6##O):%
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*)
many paintings, and much of his collec-
tion of Pre-Columbian art out of the house
in Tizapan to his family house on the Calle
Zamora, in downtown Mexico City. When he
unexpectedly died in a Social Security hospi-
tal, on February 4, 1957, at the young age of
YZ:%(1("7&'2+;%2+%'2)%*5*"&$(+&:%*00#".2+;%&#%
M(55("%C*+.%0#+,"$(.%&#%$(%$=0'%-*&("%67%
J#)*% B#1*""=62*)D% 3*)% .212.(.% =5% 6(&3((+%
&'"((% 5(#5-(U% '2)% 6"#&'("% [=2)% B#1*""=62*):%
J#0Q#:%*+.%\2--2*$%R5"*&-2+;F
It was Spratling who got the two note-
books and who took them to his hacienda in
Taxco Viejo, Morelos. Bill Spratling was an
*$*]2+;% 0'*"*0&(":% *+.% *+% 2$5#"&*+&% ,;="(%
in modern Mexican history. It was he who
'*.%)2+;-(@'*+.(.-7%"(121(.%G*/0#P)%!*$#=)%
6=&%-*";(-7%.(!=+0&%)2-1("%2+.=)&"7%*+.%$*.(%
2&% 3#"-.@!*$#=)F% >(% '*.% *% 1("7% -*";(% )2-1("%
3#"O)'#5%3'("(%)(1("*-%.#](+%7#=+;%)2-1("-
smiths turned his designs into pieces eagerly
)#=;'&%67%0#--(0&#")F%>(%3*)%*-)#%*%.(*-("%2+%
Pre-Columbian art, especially Olmec, not all
#!%3'20':%^P$%)#""7%&#%)*7:%3*)%*=&'(+&20F%
[*&(% #+% &'(% +2;'&% #!% A=;=)&% _:% `ab_:%
R5"*&-2+;%3*)%."212+;%*&%'2;'%)5((.%6(&3((+%
G*/0#%*+.%^;=*-*:%5"#6*6-7%I=+.("%&'(%2+H=-
ence, when his car hit a tree and he was killed.
It turned out that he had willed his collection
to the people of Taxco, but many things that
he had owned disappeared after his death
*+.%'*1(%+(1("%6((+%)((+%*;*2+N*+.%&'*&%2)%
the sad case with the famous notebooks.
>#3(1(":%*--%3*)%+#&%-#)&F%\'2-(%&'(7%3("(%
2+%R5"*&-2+;P)%'*+.):%'(%-(&%<(#";(%M(55("%6#"-
"#3%&'($L%<(#";(%&##O%&'($%&#%E(/20#%B2&7%
*+.% '*.% (1("7% 5*;(% 2+% &'($% 5'#&#;"*5'(.%
professionally (with four notebook pages
to each photograph). That summer (1968)
<(#";(%1("7%O2+.-7%-(&%$(%&*O(%&'(%+(;*&21()%
6*0O%&#%X(3%>*1(+:%3'("(%^%'*.%&'($%&="+(.%
into two sets of prints, and then returned the
+(;*&21()%&#%<(#";(F%W+(%)(&%#!%5"2+&)%^%O(5&%
!#"%$7%#3+%"()(*"0':%*+.%&'(%#&'("%^%;*1(%&#%
8*12.%9#"*-($#+:%3'#%=)(.%&'($%&#%;"(*&%(!-
!(0&%!#"%'2)%R0'#-*"%#!%&'(%>#=)(%.2))("&*&2#+F%
8*12.%;"*.=*&(.%!"#$%c*-(%2+%`abaL%'2)%)(+2#"%
thesis was published by Dumbarton Oaks in
2
1971, as A Study of Maya Iconography. This is
now recognized as a classic in Mesoamerican
studies. My own set of prints is reproduced in
the pages that follow.
T=&% &'(% )&#"7% .#()+P&% (+.% '("(F% d#"% $7%
book Americas First Civilization: Discovering
the Olmec (Coe 1968), I thought of including
*%)5(02*-%)(0&2#+%#+%B#1*""=62*)%*+.%)#$(%#!%
the wonderful Olmec drawings in the note-
6##O)F%>#3(1(":%&'(%-*37(")%3*+&(.%&#%O+#3%
who, exactly, owned the rights to the draw-
2+;)e% G'(7% )##+% !#=+.% &'*&% R5"*&-2+;P)% 32--%
'*.% -(!&% &'(% +#&(6##O)% &#% A=."(7% >(56="+%
and her husband Mel Ferrer, but by this time
&'(%&3#%*0&#")%3("(%.21#"0(.F%\'(+%0#+&*0&(.%
+(2&'("% '*.% (1("% )((+% &'(% +#&(6##O)% #"% '*.%
(1(+%'(*".%#!%&'($F
^&% 3*)% ,+*--7% .(02.(.% &'*&% ^% )'#=-.% ;(&%
B#1*""=62*)P)% 32.#3% J#)*% &#% ;21(% &'(% WfF%
If anyone had a title to the drawings, it
3#=-.%6(%)'(F%^%'*.%+(1("%$(&%J#)*%*+.%3*)%
)#$(3'*&% &(""2,(.:% *)% )'(% 3*)% )*2.% &#% 6(% *%
1("7%!#"$2.*6-(%-*.7F%W+0(%E*&&'(3%R&2"-2+;%
"($*"O(.%&#%$(:%IR'(P)%+#%J#)(:%)'(P)%*%G2;("%
[2-7gK% G'(% )2&=*&2#+% 3*)% "()#-1(.% 3'(+% $7%
!"2(+.% d"(.("20O% h*+.("62-&% d2(-.N*-)#% *%
>?AB%&*";(&%3'#%'*.%*0&=*--7%)5(+&%&2$(%2+%
*+%A$("20*+%5"2)#+%!#"%6(2+;%*%B#$$=+2)&N
5(")=*.(.% J#)*% &#% 2+12&(% =)% 6#&'% &#% -=+0'%
2+% &'(% B#1*""=62*)% '#=)(% 2+% G2]*5*+F% ^&% 3*)%
*% )=00()):% J#)*% 3*)% *% )=5("6% 0##O% *+.% &'(%
meal was splendid, and she and I became
!"2(+.)F%A+.%^%.2.%;(&%'("%5("$2))2#+%!#"%&'(%
drawings.
For now, the actual whereabouts of the
original notebooks remains a mystery.
Acknowledgments
E7% )2+0("(% &'*+O)% ;#% &#% E*"Q*% i-(+*% J20#%
B#1*""=62*):% 3'#% #3+)% &'(% 0#57"2;'&% !#"%
unpublished drawings by her uncle, Miguel
B#1*""=62*):% !#"% 5("$2))2#+% &#% 5=6-2)'% &'2)%
(-(0&"#+20%1(")2#+%#!%&'(%+#&(6##O)F
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 3

A6#1(%2)%&'(%,")&%#!%&'(%jK%/%`kK%5'#&#;"*5'20%5"2+&)%&'*&%0#$5"2)(%&'(%"(0#".%#!%&'(%B#1*""=62*)%+#&(6##O)F
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G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 4

^+%&'2)%jK%/%`kK%5'#&#;"*5'20%5"2+&:%2&%2)%5#))26-(%&#%)((%!#="%2+.212.=*-%5*;()%#!%&'(%B#1*""=62*)%+#&(6##O)F
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The horizontal white line at the top is the back of an image on the other side of the notebook page.
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 10
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G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 15
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 16

(The image on the right second from the top appears in a different orientation on page 30.
The image at bottom left appears on page 44 in its proper orientation.)
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 17
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G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 23

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G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 25

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G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 26

The image at bottom left was published in Americas First Civilization (Coe 1968:152).
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 27

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The image at lower right was published in Americas First Civilization (Coe 1968:145).
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 37
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G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 40

The photograph of this notebook page was printed on a single 8x10 sheet as indicated.
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 41

The photograph of this notebook page was printed on a single 8x10 sheet as indicated.
The image appears on page 48 in its proper orientation.
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 42

A+%jK/`kK%5'#&#;"*5'20%5"2+&%2)%"(5"#.=0(.%*6#1(F
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 43

From page 3.

From page 4.

From page 6.
G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 44

From page 8.

From page 14.

From page 16.

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From page 22.

From page 23.

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From page 24.

From page 25.

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From page 27.

From page 33.

G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 48

From page 41.

G'(%W-$(0%X#&(6##O)%#!%E2;=(-%B#1*""=62*) 49

References cited
Coe, Michael D.
1968 Americas First CivilizationF%A$("20*+%>("2&*;(:%X(3%c#"OF