Identity elements
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Blez Family Papers
Date(s)
- 1863-1941 (Creation)
Extent
1 Box
Name of creator
Biographical history
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).
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
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.
System of arrangement
The materials in this collection are arranged by type in chronological order within each folder.
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
The collection is open for research.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Requests to publish or display materials from this collection require written permission from the rights owner. Please contact chc@miami.edu for more information.
Preferred citation: Blez Family Papers, Cuban Heritage Collection, University of Miami Libraries, Coral Gables, Florida.
Languages of the material
- Spanish
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Generated finding aid
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Purchased, September 2012.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
One book was put into CHC Books.
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Archivist's note
Processed by Amanda Moreno, October 2012. Edited by Natalie Baur, July 2013. Updated by Rebeca Gonzalez, May 2021.
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Blez family (Subject)