Not so many years ago, or perhaps it was, the walls of homes were decorated with colorful prints featuring photographs of remote places, battles, or sacred scenes. The mastermind behind this widespread trend was Miquel Seguí. From his factory in Barcelona’s Gràcia district, he distributed these prints throughout Spain, adorning thousands of walls across the nation.
More Than Just Prints: A Publishing Empire
But Seguí’s influence extended far beyond decorative prints. His publishing house also printed monumental works of popular science and encyclopedias, art books, luxury editions, medical and natural science texts, as well as magazines and periodicals. Editorial Seguí became a symbol of the booming publishing industry in Barcelona, solidifying the city’s position as the epicenter of Spanish-language literature.
Miquel Seguí’s Artistic Editorial Center emerged as a beacon in late 19th-century Barcelona, a period when Modernisme was in full swing. At a time when books were revered objects, often prohibitively expensive for many, Seguí broke down these barriers of privilege, traditionally reserved for noble and ecclesiastical libraries, by publishing works in installments or fascicles.
Each week, for a minimal cost, families could acquire a fragment of an encyclopedia or a chapter of a novel. The chromolithographs published by Seguí were so precise and vibrant that they still retain their original brilliance and color today.
Art, Culture, and Innovation
In addition to his groundbreaking serialized publications, Seguí produced lithographs of works by great masters, detailed maps, and countless other items that, beyond promoting culture, served to decorate bare walls. While other publishers of the era were wary of technological advancements, Seguí embraced photogravure and new automatic presses. His philosophy was that technology should serve art.
From Mallorca to Barcelona: The Journey of a Visionary
Miquel Seguí Riera was born in Palma de Mallorca in 1858. After training in graphic arts and working as an illustrator for various publications, he moved to Barcelona, where he established his own venture. He gained recognition for his reproductions of Mariano Fortuny’s drawings and Goya’s ‘Los Caprichos’.
Seguí participated with a series of etchings in the art exhibition held during the 1888 Universal Exposition and is considered one of the finest metal engravers of his time. He passed away in Barcelona in 1927, but his company continued under his successors until its closure in 1947.
Democratizing Knowledge: Classics for All
Under the Editorial Seguí imprint, universal classics such as ‘Don Quixote’, ‘The Divine Comedy’, and ‘La Fontaine’s Fables’ ceased to be works exclusively for the elite. His editions were monumental, featuring cloth bindings stamped with gold and intricate reliefs. Owning or buying a Seguí book was not merely a status symbol; it was a testament to one’s belonging to the world of culture.
Seguí’s ambition wasn’t limited to Spain. Thanks to his drive and that of other editors, Barcelona solidified its status as ‘The Great Library of America’. He began distributing and selling books in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Montevideo, extending the reach of Spanish literature across the Atlantic.
A Commitment to Style: Books as Works of Art
Editorial Seguí was also deeply involved in the artistic movement known as Modernisme. The covers of his works reflected the movement’s obsession with nature, curved lines, and the integration of all arts. A book, for Seguí, was not merely a container of information; it was a total work of art. Each page was designed with an architectural balance, blending the white of the paper, typography, and illustration. In all his books, there was a deliberate commitment to style. It wasn’t just about educating; it was a triumph of cultural resilience.
Emblematic Publications
Several publications stood out as emblematic of Seguí’s vision. His most ambitious work was the ‘Diccionario Enciclopédico Hispano-Americano’, a comprehensive compendium of knowledge spanning literature, sciences, and arts. This work competed with the best international encyclopedias of its time.
Other notable works included ‘La Historia de las Naciones’, a multi-volume series chronicling the evolution of peoples, richly illustrated with chromolithographs, maps, and engravings. ‘La Geografía Universal’ detailed the continents with a strong visual and cartographic focus. He also published the collection of Goya’s ‘Los Caprichos’, comprising 80 etchings with biographical notes on the artist, and a luxurious edition of ‘El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha’, illustrated by Jaime Pahisa Laporta and Arturo Seriña, featuring Modernista bindings.
In the realm of science and medicine, Seguí produced the ‘Atlas de Anatomía Humana’ with detailed chromolithographic plates for students and professors, and ‘Tratados de Ciencias Naturales’ covering botany and zoology. Furthermore, his travel and monument books documented the architectural richness of Spain and Europe.
Pioneering Marketing and a Lasting Legacy
Seguí implemented what we now call marketing long before the term existed. He used gifts and combined subscriptions to foster loyalty among his readers. Subscribing to one of his history collections often meant receiving a large-format print or a dictionary, a strategy that seems common today but was revolutionary at the time for moving large stocks of books. In other words, he wasn’t just selling books; he was selling the prestige of working-class families having a library at home.
The editorial’s headquarters were located at number 9, Torrent de l’Olla street. The building was constructed by Andreu Audet Puig, a Modernista architect specializing in entertainment and leisure architecture, known for designing the Casino de la Rabassada, the Hotel Colón, and the Apolo, Arnau, Victoria, and Condal theaters.
The editorial building won an award in the annual artistic buildings competition held by the Barcelona City Council. The facade still retains reliefs and decorative elements alluding to the book industry and art, serving as a clear example of how editorial headquarters of the era sought to project prestige and beauty.
Source: https://www.eldebate.com/espana/cataluna/barcelona/20260119/editor-convirtio-barcelona-capital-libro-espanol_375262.html
