Manuel Acosta Portfolio — 1976 Bicentennial Edition, 7 Color Prints

This is the complete Manuel Acosta Portfolio, issued as the 1776 Bicentennial Souvenir Edition in 1976, containing seven full-color reproductions of oil paintings by Manuel Gregorio Acosta, the celebrated El Paso-based Chicano artist whose work documented the lives, landscapes, and spirit of the Mexican-American borderland community. The set derives from Acosta's "Cycle of Life" series, originally copyrighted in 1974 and produced in a first edition of only 2,000 copies — a detail that adds meaningful collectible weight to this portfolio.

Each print is rendered on cream-toned stock with generous white borders and bears a printed facsimile signature. The seven subjects span the full breadth of Acosta's vision: the iconic revolutionary soldier "Canciones de la Revolución," the dignified laborer "Carro del Sol," the contemplative expectant mother "Encinta," the vibrant floral still life "Canasto de Flores," the spare desert meditation "Desert Legend," the lyrical children-in-nature composition "Jardín de Niños," and the evocative symbolic landscape "Games of Yesterday." The prints are housed in the original white Bicentennial portfolio folder and accompanied by the olive-green "Cycle of Life" outer slipcase and a bilingual English/Spanish text sheet describing each work. Please see the Condition section for specifics on wear. A complete, intact set representing an important chapter in Chicano and Southwestern American art history.

CONDITION

Good. The olive-green outer slipcase and white portfolio cover show toning, general handling wear, and light soiling consistent with approximately 50 years of storage, as visible in the cover photos. The seven interior prints fare considerably better — colors remain vibrant, borders are intact, and no tears or significant staining are noted on the prints themselves. The bilingual text sheet is present and legible. 

DIMENSIONS

16 7/8" × 21 3/4"