‘Recovered Memories’: the exhibition on Spain's contribution to American independence
The exhibition that travelled to the US to commemorate Spain's forgotten role in American independence
'Recovered Memories' followed on from Memory Regained, held in Bilbao in 2017, bringing the effort to recover Spain’s contribution to US independence across the Atlantic. The exhibition was presented in New Orleans and subsequently in Washington in 2018, bringing together around 100 artworks, documents and historical objects. These initiatives were followed by 'Unveiling Memories', a project aimed at expanding the research and raising awareness of this contribution.
Dates of the exhibition in Louisiana: 21 April 2018 to 8 July 2018
Dates of the exhibition in Washington, DC: 26 September 2018 to 18 November 2018
Key themes of the exhibition:
- Spain's contribution to US independence and the significance of the Spanish Crown's support for the American cause.
- Bernardo de Gálvez and other leading figures, key players in the Spanish presence during the War of Independence.
- More than 100 historical works and artefacts, including paintings, documents, maps, ship models, costumes and holograms.
- A shared history on both sides of the Atlantic, from the Spain of Charles III to Spanish emigration and the advent of electricity.
‘Recovered Memories’: an exhibition bringing together the history of Spain and the US.
'Recovered Memories' was conceived as a follow-up to 'Memory Regained', with the aim of exploring in greater depth Spain's contribution to US independence and raising awareness of this part of history amongst the American public. The exhibition reviewed the role played by the Spanish Crown during the American War of Independence, between 1775 and 1783, and the Crown’s contribution to the birth and formation of the new nation.
Curated by José Manuel Guerrero Acosta, the exhibition brought together around 100 works of art, documents and historical artefacts. The selection included paintings, maps, naval models, costumes, historical artefacts and audiovisual materials, including The March of Gálvez. Conquest of Baton Rouge, by Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau (1779); portraits of Bernardo de Gálvez, Marianne Celeste Dragon and Ignacio de Balderes; and the diplomatic costume of Diego de Gardoqui.
The items came from Spanish and American museums, archives, libraries and institutions, as well as from private collections and the Iberdrola Collection
Link externo, abra em uma nova aba. . Among the participating institutions were museums and archives in Louisiana and Missouri in the US and the Army Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Culture and the Natural Science Museum in Spain.
A little background: why was the Spanish contribution to US independence significant?
US independence cannot be understood solely in terms of the Thirteen Colonies (groups of British colonies on the country's east coast that declared their independence in 1776, giving rise to the United States of America). Spain played a decisive role by supplying the rebels with weapons, gunpowder, uniforms, food and loans, as well as providing the logistical and diplomatic support necessary to sustain the war effort. Between 1775 and 1781, the Spanish monarchy allocated more than three million pesos to the American cause and thousands of Spanish soldiers and sailors as well as those from its American territories took part in the conflict.
Spain's entry into the war in 1779 also opened a second front in the south. From Louisiana and Florida, Bernardo de Gálvez – governor of Spanish Louisiana and a hero of the American War of Independence – led campaigns that enabled the capture of strategic British positions and hampered their movements and resources in the Americas. This military action was complemented by the diplomatic and commercial efforts of figures such as Diego de Gardoqui, who helped to maintain links with the insurgents. Spanish aid thus enabled pressure to be brought to bear on Great Britain on various fronts and was a key factor in the triumph of the American Revolution.
Four spaces to explore a shared history
The 'Recovered Memories' exhibition was organised into four galleries that formed the conceptual journey of the exhibition:
The Spain of Charles III and the Hispanic legacy in North America
The first section transported visitors to Spain during the reign of Charles III, a major power in the Age of Enlightenment, and placed them within the context of the Spanish presence in North America.
Spain in the face of US independence
In its second room, the exhibition explored Spain's decisive role in the War of Independence and the Crown's support for the American cause.
The southern front of the War of Independence
The third section focused on the second theatre of war that Spain opened in the south – Louisiana and Florida – when it declared war on Great Britain in 1779, with particular emphasis on Louisiana and Florida, and on Bernardo de Gálvez.
The subsequent Spanish Presence in the US
The fourth room, Recovering Memories: Spaniards in the United States, explored how, decades after the US gained independence, many Spaniards emigrated to the newly established country in search of better living conditions. It also looked at the origins of electricity.
Two stages of the same initiative: New Orleans and Washington
'Recovered Memories' had two stages in the US in 2018. The first was held in New Orleans and then continued its tour in Washington. Although both exhibitions formed part of the same initiative, each had its own title and context. This tour helped to broaden the dissemination of the shared history between the two countries and bring it to new audiences.
New Orleans: ‘Recovered Memories. Spain, New Orleans and Support for the American Revolution’
The first leg of 'Recovered Memories' took place at The Cabildo, in Jackson Square, within the Louisiana State Museum in New Orleans, between 21 April 2018 and 8 July 2018. Entitled 'Recovered Memories. Spain, New Orleans and Support for the American Revolution', the exhibition explored Spain's contribution to US independence, and in particular its role in the history of Louisiana and New Orleans.
Indeed, the choice of New Orleans as the venue for the exhibition held special symbolic significance due to the role of Spanish Louisiana on the southern front of the War of Independence and the figure of Bernardo de Gálvez, governor of the province during that period.
Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited the exhibition during their state visit to the US. They were accompanied by Ignacio Galán, Executive Chairman of Iberdrola, and Josep Borrell, the then Foreign Affairs Minister. The curator, José Manuel Guerrero Acosta, guided the King and Queen and the officials through the exhibition.
Their majesties the King and Queen of Spain visited the exhibition, accompanied by the Executive Chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán.
On 5 May 2017, HRM King Felipe visited the exhibition 'La memoria recobrada', located in the Iberdrola Tower, where it was presented for the first time.
Among the pieces on display, Francisco de Goya's El columpio (The Swing), on loan from the Prado Museum, stood out, alongside works by other prominent Spanish artists such as Joaquín Sorolla, Luis Paret and Ignacio Zuloaga. The selection combined these works with documents and artefacts that helped to reconstruct Spain's involvement in the War of Independence and the Spanish legacy in North America.
Washington: Recovered Memories. Spain and the Support for the American Revolution
The second stage took place in Washington, D.C., where the exhibition continued its tour in autumn 2018. Under the title Recovered Memories. Spain and the Support for the American Revolution, the exhibition opened on 26 September 2018 and remained on display until 18 November of the same year at the former residence of the Spanish ambassadors.
The opening was organised by the Spanish embassy in the US and Iberdrola, and was attended, among other officials, by Cristina Fraile, then Counsellor at the Embassy, and James P. Torgerson, then CEO of Iberdrola’s US subsidiary Avangrid. During its stay in Washington, the exhibition attracted more than 20,000 visitors.
The exhibition traced the historical development of the initiative, with a particular focus on the role of the Spanish Crown during the American War of Independence. Among the highlights was the painting The March of Gálvez. The Conquest of Baton Rouge (Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau, 1779), which was displayed alongside two sketches. Also featuring prominently were the original portraits of Bernardo de Gálvez, Marianne Celeste Dragon and Ignacio de Balderes – who were among the key figures of the Spanish colonial period – as well as the costume of the Spanish diplomat Diego de Gardoqui.
Bernardo de Gálvez, a leading figure in the American War of Independence and a key figure in the exhibition
'Recovered Memories' brought to the fore the figure of Bernardo de Gálvez. Born in Málaga, he was governor of Spanish Louisiana between 1776 and 1782 and one of the principal figures in Spain's contribution to American independence. On the orders of Charles III, he expelled the British from Mississippi and Florida, and supported the American rebels with supplies and funds. He was subsequently appointed Viceroy of New Spain, a post he held between 1785 and 1786. In 2014, the United States awarded him the title of Honorary Citizen for his assistance during the War of Independence.
In 2019, the exhibition also incorporated a sculpture of Bernardo de Gálvez created by Salvador Amaya in 2015. Iberdrola donated the piece to the Spain-USA Foundation and subsequently installed it at the entrance to the Spanish Embassy in the US, becoming a permanent legacy of Iberdrola's initiative in the country.
Outreach beyond the ‘Recovered Memories’ exhibitions
The journey that began with 'Memory Regained' and continued in the US with 'Recovered Memories' gave rise to new initiatives aimed at broadening the reach of this story. Not only did the exhibition travel from Bilbao to New Orleans and Washington, but it also inspired new cultural content and helped lay the foundations for a wider-reaching project to research, disseminate and preserve the memory of the Hispanic contribution to US independence.
Under two banners: the exhibition becomes literature
In 2018, Recovered Memories inspired Under Two Flags, a book published by Zenda and coordinated by writer Arturo Pérez-Reverte. The book brought together a dozen of the most prominent names on the current Spanish literary scene, including Juan Eslava Galán, Espido Freire, Agustín Fernández Mallo, Susana Fortes, Luz Gabás, Juan Gómez-Jurado, Emilio Lara, Cristina López Barrio, José María Merino, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Clara Sánchez and Lorenzo Silva.
The authors used the exhibition as the starting point for their stories, while the book’s cover features a fragment of Gálvez’s March by Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau, one of the exhibition’s most notable works. Sponsored by Iberdrola, the book includes a foreword by Ignacio Galán, and the stories were also published free of charge in electronic format.
"The stories by the eminent writers who accompany readers on this journey invite us to remember Spain’s fundamental role in key episodes."
Ignacio S. Galán
Executive Chairman of Iberdrola, on the book Under Two Flags
‘Unveiling Memories’: from the exhibitions to a wider-reaching project
Following the exhibition tour, Iberdrola expanded this work with 'Unveiling Memories', a project designed to leave a lasting legacy of Spain's and the Hispanic world's contribution to US independence. The project brings together initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic, including exhibitions, publications, events at museums and institutions, commemorations, digital resources and initiatives to support training, teaching and research.
Iberdrola's commitment to art, culture and history
'Recovered Memories' forms part of Iberdrola's commitment to promoting and disseminating art, culture and history, and reflects our dedication to driving forward initiatives that help to preserve heritage, recover historical episodes and bring them to new audiences. The exhibition was conceived not only as an art exhibition but also as a space to recover a little-known part of the shared history between Spain and the United States and to strengthen the cultural ties between the two countries.
This project also paved the way for new initiatives, such as 'Unveiling Memories', which expand upon and give continuity to this work of historical recovery and dissemination. Through these projects at Iberdrola, we have helped make knowledge accessible and to highlight the stories and connections that form part of our shared heritage. This work takes on particular significance in Spain and the US – countries where we carry out a significant part of our business and with which we maintain a bond that is also expressed through culture.
