Don Ignacio Cumplido was born in 1811 in the city of Guadalajara, when the kingdom of New Galicia still existed, and Mexico was at the end of the viceregal period; just a year earlier, Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla had started the Mexican Revolution for Independence.
MAN AND HIS TIME
Don Ignacio Cumplido was born in 1811 in the city of Guadalajara, when the kingdom of New Galicia still existed, and Mexico was at the end of the viceregal period; just a year earlier, Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla had started the Mexican Revolution for Independence.
From an early age, Ignacio Cumplido moved to Mexico City where he became interested in the typographic arts, this activity being the one that would distinguish him for the rest of his life.
One of his first jobs was in the old National Museum, directed then by Don Isidro Icaza, dedicating himself to the care of the compilation of Natural History, composed mainly of collections of rocks and minerals, fetuses and stuffed animals, etc. But, undoubtedly, the work of a printer exerted on him a charm impossible to forget, and for this reason he left the old academic institution, and in 1829 he became the brand new director of the printing press that published El Correo de la Federación, the main spokesman for of the liberal groups of great activity at that time.
Subsequently, he was in charge of the printing of another newspaper, El Fénix de la Libertad, where the most notable characters who postulated democratic ideas wrote. and it was in this publication where our printer from Guadalajara distinguished himself by his dedication to work, a characteristic that would distinguish him throughout his entire career.
The first decades of independent Mexico were identified by the fierce struggle established by the Liberals and Conservatives, political groups that had been born under the aegis of the Masonic lodges. The former essentially sought the Federal Republic and its opposites, centralism and the continuity of the privileges of the old power groups of the colonial world. The latter were the Catholic Church, the landowners, and the mine owners. It was in this world of fratricidal wars, political revenge and loquacious dictators, where Ignacio Cumplido lived and developed his typographic art with great skill, and as he was an individual of liberal ideas, he obviously served his cause in the publishing field.
In 1840, Mr. Cumplido joined the public administration, being then appointed Superintendent of prisons. This charge was at that time like a paradox since he had recently suffered imprisonment, unfairly, in the famous prison of the former Acordada. The reason for his imprisonment was having been in charge of the publication of the letter that Gutiérrez Estrada wrote on the subject of the monarchy.
In 1842, Cumplido was elected a Deputy in Congress and, later, he obtained the position of Senator. He was always distinguished for his liberal stance and for being a defender of the causes of the humble and the underprivileged. All his biographers emphasize his generous attitude in giving up his economic allowances as a Deputy and as a Senator in favor of charities.
Such was his philanthropic sense that out of his own money he founded in his own home a printers' college for young orphans, lacking fortune, and it is said, in that home he treated them as if they were members of his family. There, under his direction, they learned the ancient art of publishing and typography.
Another notable facet of Mr. Cumplido was his patriotic participation in the defense of our city during the ill-fated war that the United States unleashed against Mexico in 1847. Our character volunteered to the head of the National Guard battalion, being granted the rank of captain. In this position he performed with the punctuality and efficiency that distinguished him in all his tasks.
IGNACIO CUMPLIDO, EDITOR OF THE XIX CENTURY
One of the oldest newspapers that Mexico has had, was undoubtedly El Siglo XIX, since it had a duration of 56 years. Founded by Ignacio Cumplido on October 7, 1841, the most notable intellectuals and thinkers of that time collaborated in it; his subjects included politics as well as literature and science. The history of that period was written on its pages. Its last issue is dated October 15, 1896.
This newspaper, at first only had its title on the front page with a very sober design, a little later, the art of Cumplido appeared in the publication, and it was then that it used an engraving where our volcanoes are appreciated, behind which The sun rises with radiant rays and a billboard where we can read Fine Arts, Progress, Union, Commerce, Industry.
The 19th century, later, had several renowned directors such as José Ma. Vigil, a notable historian and bibliographer who was also Director of the National Library in his time; Francisco Zarco, a great writer, the last being Luis Pamba. In the pages of this newspaper, the names of Luis de la Rosa, Guillermo Prieto, Manuel Payno, Ignacio Ramírez, José T. Cuéllar and many other prominent members of the Liberal Party stand out.
IGNACIO CUMPLIDO, TYPOGRAPHIC ARTIST
From his first approaches to the art of typography, introduced in Mexico at the time of its independence, our character was interested in raising the quality of the work that came out of the presses. Such was his determination that with some savings collected with great effort, he traveled to the United States with the purpose of acquiring the most modern machinery. But it happened that Veracruz, the only port of entry for commercial ships, at that time was blocked by the French navy that claimed absurd debts from our country; For this reason, the shipment where Cumplido's machinery came from was landed in New Orleans, being lost there forever.
Overcoming this and other obstacles, Ignacio Cumplido, once again gathered the resources that allowed him to bring to light, -with a high artistic quality, such famous publications as: El Mosaico Mexicano, a collection that included from 1836 to 1842; The Mexican Museum; the Picturesque Miscellany of Curious and Instructive Amenities that was published from 1843 to 1845; The Mexican Illustration, the Mexican Album, etc. Particularly noteworthy is El Presente Amistoso para las Señoritas Mexicanas, published for the first time in 1847; this beautiful book has edged pages and was enriched with six plates engraved in steel with charming female images. In 1850 he published a new version of El Presente Amistoso with new engravings, whose original plates were imported from Europe and in 1851, he made the third and last version of such a singular publication. Especially in these works, we appreciate the delicate art of integrating elegant covers, where the range of colors includes gold. Hundreds of publications came out of Cumplido's presses, of which Ramiro Villaseñor y Villaseñor has made a specific enumeration. This is how his brilliant work exalts the figure of this printer from Guadalajara; In his extensive bibliography we appreciate his work to disseminate the work of the main liberals, since he was responsible for bringing to light the fundamental works of Carlos María de Bustamante, José Ma. Iglesias, Luis de la Rosa, as well as opinions, ordinances and numerous documents of a political and economic nature issued by the state governments and the Chambers of Deputies and Senators.
In a curious and unfortunate way, this great and great Mexican man of ideas and heart, whose death occurred in Mexico City on November 30, 1887, has barely deserved the recognition of journalism, typographic and art scholars. editorial design.
As has been well said, neither in Mexico nor in Guadalajara has a street been dedicated to commemorate the name and work of this remarkable nineteenth-century printer.
Source: Mexico in Time No. 29 March-April 1999
