As part of the commemoration of the Passage to Immortality of General José de San Martín, the Library presents a bibliographic exhibition dedicated to the Father of the Nation. The exhibition brings together a careful selection of printed works and patriotic curiosities from the Zeballos Collection, which reflect the thought, life and legacy of the Liberator.
The exhibition can be visited from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in the hall of the Tornquist Library (San Martín 275).
San Martín in books and history
The figure of General San Martín occupies a prominent place in the Library’s collection. On this occasion, copies and documents commemorating the 175th anniversary of his death are on display, including a biography published in 1854, just four years after his death.
Its author, Mariano Balcarce, a doctor and diplomat, personally met San Martín and his daughter Mercedes in France, when they were both going through an illness. Years later he would marry her, which allowed him to get to know the hero closely and reflect intimate aspects of his life in his biography.
Balcarce also played a key role in the preservation of the General’s personal papers , which were later sent to Bartolomé Mitre and served as the basis for his monumental work Historia de San Martín y de la emancipación sudamericana (published in ten volumes).
“Among the illustrious men of whom the Argentine Republic is honored, none can gather around his name a more glorious halo, a more brilliant and pure fame than the immortal San Martín.”
(Excerpt from the biography of San Martín written by Mariano Balmaceda, 1854)
Zeballos’ contribution: custodian of national memory
Dr. Estanislao Zeballos, renowned collector, bibliophile and scholar of Argentine history, gathered a valuable collection of documents and historical objects that today are part of the Library’s heritage.
Among them are three insignia belonging to the time of General San Martín, received in 1887 during his presidency of the Chamber of Deputies. These pieces—along with his correspondence and historical compilations—constitute a tangible testimony of his commitment to the preservation of San Martin’s legacy.
“My dear Doctor, the President instructs me to send you in your name those three stamps made with the seals used by General Don José de San Martín, so that you may give them a preferential place among your curiosities of merit.”
(Fragment of correspondence addressed to Dr. Estanislao Zeballos, 1887. Library Archive.)
A space to rediscover the Liberator
The exhibition invites us to go through pages, documents and objects that account for the thought, values and vision of San Martín, a symbol of freedom and South American unity.
📍 Visit us: Tornquist Library, San Martín 275, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
📚 More information:
- San Martín (1778–1850) – Stack – Issuu
- St. Martin’s Contents – Koha Online Catalog
