Gallery
Listed by year within category.
General History
- The Story of LatviaThe Story of Latvia—A Historical Survey, Latvian National Foundation, Stockholm, 1949—Švābe's concise history of Latvia, from the Balts inhabiting what is today western Russia through the continuation of Soviet occupation into the post-WWII era. PDF available.
- A Brief HistoryA Brief History of Latvia, Latvian Foreign Ministry, 2000—Key aspects of and events in Latvian history.
16th Century
- Cosmographia UniversalisCosmographia Universalis, Sebastian Munsters, 1544—The quintessential view of the Riga skyline circa 1550, and still recognizable today, from Sebastian Munster's "Cosmographia Universalis", and a fragment of the Lord's Prayer in Latvian.
19th Century
- Foreign Corn PortsForeign Corn Ports—Riga, The Illustrated London News, May 15, 1847—News article with engraved illustrations.
- Town of RigaThe Town of Riga, Ballou's Monthly Magazine, February, 1872—An informative, if brief, account of Rīga at its zenith as the second largest port of the Russian empire, and of the history, geography, fauna, and inhabitants of Livonia.
- Baltic RussiaBaltic Russia, Henry Lansdell, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, New York, July 1890—Lansdell's richly illustrated travelogue, one of a number which appeared in Harper's from 1887 to 1891, offers a Baltic Russian potpourri of information, from educational expenditures by ethnicity to observations on segregated nude bathing.
- "Riga" ca. 1897"RIGA", The National Encyclopedia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge, William Mackenzie, London, ca. 1897—Encyclopedia entry for Rīga, including an engraved illustration of a harbor scene.
20th Century
The Revolution, Great War, and War of Independence
- Fridrihs BriedisFridrihs Briedis (LATVIAN, Briedis: īss dzīves stāsts ar 12 ilustracijām pēc Aleksandra Plensnera manuscripta), Aleksandrs Plensners, Mikelis Goppers; David Guild, trans., 1963—Biography of Fridrihs Briedis (June 23, 1888–August 28, 1918), a Latvian colonel and the first and one of the most famous Latvian Riflemen commanders. He eventually sided with the Whites against the Bolsheviks, who captured and executed him in 1918. Latvian and English translation.
Independent Latvia
- Latvia — Lettish LifeLatvia — Lettish Life in Legendary & Modern Times, Florence Farmborough, various publishers, ca. 1920—Farmborough's vivid and copiously illustrated account of the newly independent Latvia: the challenges of recovering from the devastation of war, an intimate look into daily life, and hope expressed for the future. From J. A. Hammerton's encyclopedia, Peoples of All Nations: Their Life Today and Story of Their Past.
- Opera ProgramLatvian National Opera program (LATVIAN, Latvijas Nacionālas Operas nedēļas repertuārs), April 1923—Opera attendees' program for April 17 through 28, 1923, restored and facsimile with translation
- World Agriculture—LatviaWorld Agriculture—Latvia, multiple authors, World Agriculture Corporation, 1927—Series of articles on the state and development of Latvia's agriculture and forestry since the end of WWI and War of Independence.
- The Four New Baltic States"Estonia", "Finland", "Lithuania", "Latvia", The New Human Interest Library. Vol. V., Midland Press, Chicago, 1928—Articles about the four new Baltic states, a decade after independence. Illustrations and photographs.
- Latvian ButterLatvian Butter (GERMAN, Lettische Butter), National Butter Export Control of Latvia, 1929—Between the wars, Germany grew to become the largest customer for Latvia's prized butter exports. By 1928, the year prior to publication, Latvia was the 10th largest butter exporter in the world with 85% of its butter export going to Germany.
- Freedom MonumentFreedom Monument (LATVIAN, Brīvības Piemineklis), Jānis Siliņš, Brīvības Pieminekļa Komiteja, 1935—Art critic Jānis Siliņš's detailed discussion of the Freedom Monument, published by the Freedom Monument Committee.
- Latvia for TravelersLatvia for Travelers (GERMAN, Lettland für Reisende), Latvian government brochure, ca. 1937—Latvia sought to regain its pre-WWI stature as a tourist destination—its Gauja river valley having been known as the "Livonian Switzerland." The brochure features sights, activities, a brief history of Latvia, and information for German tourists.
World War II
- Molotov–Ribbentrop PactMolotov–Ribbentrop Pact, 1939—Text of the secret protocol carving up Eastern Europe between Stalin and Hitler.
- The First Months of the WarThe First Months of the War, Mr. Munters Speaks at the University, Latvian Economic Review, No. 2 (18) April 1940, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 1940—Foreign Minister Vilhelms Munters' speech at the University of Latvia, asking, infamously : "I should like to ask, where now is the sovietisation against which we were warned...?"
- A Shepherd DiedA Shepherd Died—A miniature folk song booklet published by Tautas Palīdzība (Peoples' Welfare) in war-time Latvia and given out for donations to help the orphaned and widowed, illustrated by a popular Latvian pre-war and post-war diaspora artist—and who dated Peters's father while they studied together at the Academy of Art.
- These Names AccuseThese Names Accuse—Nominal List of Latvians Deported to Soviet Russia in 1940-41, Second edition with supplementary list, Latvian National Foundation, Stockholm, 1982 (list, 1942)—History leading up to and including the Soviet invasion of the Baltics, the first Soviet occupation, and the first mass deportations of 1941. The originally compiled list of names was published in Riga in 1942. Documents, photographs, partial list of names. Introductory page includes links to searchable databases of the deported.
- Nazi Occupation in 1943Latvia Under German Occupation in 1943, Alfreds Bīlmanis (uncredited), Latvian Legation, Washington, DC, 1944—The Latvian diplomatic corps reports on Latvia's third year under Nazi occupation, recounting still-fresh events.
- What Latvia Wishes?What Latvia Wishes From This War?, Alfreds Bīlmanis, Latvian Legation, Washington DC, 1944—As head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry's press division, Alfreds Bīlmanis (1887-1948) actively promoted independent Latvia's interests abroad. His war-time monograph, subtitled: "Background, Current Situation, Hopes for the Future"—written while there was still hope for Latvia's post-war freedom—dispels still-prevalent misunderstandings regarding the historical inter-relationships of the Baltics, Europe, and Russia.
- Zedelgem POW CampZedelgem POW Camp 2227 Latvians whose only "crime" was to fight to free their homeland after multiple invasions are called Nazis and shot as target practice. Today, official Russia and others invested in the "Latvians are Nazis" meme keep the lie alive.
World War II—Holocaust
- Holocaust in Latvia
Prof. Andrew Ezergailis' web site on the Holocaust in Latvia. Scholarship on the Holocaust in Latvia: essays, letters, reviews. Prof. Ezergailis is the pre-eminent scholar in this field.
DP Era
- Esslingen DP campAn UNRRA Assembly Centre, Esslingen o/Neckar, Feliks Krusa, Latvian News, Esslingen am Neckar, September, 1946—UNRRA sponsored booklet describing all aspects of DP camp life at Esslingen. Introduction by René Pinczon du Sel, Director UNRRA Assembly Centre Esslingen. Digitized and facsimile.
- Junker's DP CampJunkers DP Camp Kassel-Bettenhausen, D. F. McGonigal, UNRRA, 1947—Original report, includes photographs and other exhibits; produced by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
- Anna Dārziņa Post CardsLatvian folk costumes, Anna Dāŗziņa, Esslingen DP Camp, Jānis Liepiņš, ca. 1949—Illustrations of Latvian folk costumes. Set of 18 postcards.
- Latvian KitchenThe Latvian and Modern Kitchen (LATVIAN, Latviskā un Modernā Virtuve), Fischbach Latvian Committee Literary Publisher, 1949—Traditional Latvian recipes, excerpts and translations for pīrāgi, galerts, and kotletes, published at the Fischbach DP Camp, Germany.
Soviet Era
- 1945 Literary Almanac1945 Literary Almanac (LATVIAN, Literatūras Gada Grāmata), E. Damburs, ed., VAPP Fine Literature Publisher, 1945—Still at war, Latvian Communists serving the Soviet cause declare literary Russification an enrichment of Latvian culture.
- Latvia and the LatviansAttitudes of the Major Soviet Nationalities, Latvia and the Latvians, Frederic T. Harned, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973—Part of a wider set of detailed studies on all the peoples of the Soviet Union. The study was a project of M.I.T.'s Center for International Studies.
- Soviet AggressionSoviet Aggression Against the Baltic States, Augusts Rumpēters, The World Federation of Free Latvians, New York, 1974—Augusts Rumpēters (1899–1978) served in the Supreme Court Senate of the Republic of Latvia. His cogent and superbly annotated dissertation provides pertinent counterpoint to those who continue to insist the Baltics joined the USSR willingly and legally.
- How Stalin Got the BalticsHow Stalin Got the Baltic States—The Search for Historical Truth, Vilnis V. Šveics, 1989—Professor Vilnis V. Šveics' concise and revelatory monograph on the descent of the Baltic states into Soviet domination conclusively documents that the image of France, Britain, and the United States as champions of Baltic independence is a post-WWII fiction.
Diaspora
- Latvian Artists' Group NYCLatvian Artists' Group in New York (LATVIAN, Latviešu mākslinieku grupa Ņujorkā)—Post-war émigré Latvian artists' association. Catalogue from 6th annual art exhibit held at the Barbizon Plaza in New York City and other artifacts.
- Festival of Lithuanian Art and MusicFestival of Lithuanian Art and Music, National Lithuanian Society of America, 1953—Lithuanian exile community celebrates the anniversary of Lithuania's original founding with art, a concert, and banquet in Washington, D.C. Festival program transcribed and PDF facsimile.
Soviet Propaganda
- "Russia Today""Russia Today", A. Benenson, The Ottawa Citizen, 1931—Canadian émigré A. Benenson expresses alarm over Polish armaments and sorrow over Latvia's post-WWI de-industrialization in a letter to the editior from his new homeland.
- Is War Inevitable?J. Stalin — Is War Inevitable?, Roy W. Howard (interviewer), Stalin, Friends of the Soviet Union, 1936—"The Full Text of the Famous Stalin—Howard Interview" of March 1st, 1936, originally carried in U.S. and Soviet news media and subsequently published by the Friends of the Soviet Union for Western consumption. Reading between the lines and redaction by the Chief Censor of the Soviet Union, Stalin admits to not achieving Communism and resorts to memory lapses and protestations of absurdity when confronted with the USSR's failure to comply with its commitment to respect the U.S.
- Soviet War NewsThe Soviet Union, Finland, and the Baltic States, Soviet War News, Soviet Information Bureau, 1941—In a monograph published after the Winter War and toward the end of its first occupation of the Baltic states, the Soviet Union blames the Finns and Balts for their troubles, only the Soviets have consistently engaged in "neighbourly relations," rebuffed by its neighbors at every turn. A classic study in Stalinist propaganda and a version of history still familiar in official Russian rhetoric.
- Polish–Soviet BreakBehind the Polish–Soviet Break, Alter Brody, introduced by Corliss Lamont, Soviet Russia Today, New York, 1943—After the Poles rightfully blamed the Katyn massacre on the Soviets, the USSR denounced (Molotov's letter, included) the accusation as a "Hitlerite slanderous fake." Within two weeks the USSR severed relations with the Polish Government-in-Exile. Beyond alleging Polish lies, Alter Brody's monograph goes on to characterize the Polish people as an ungrateful scourge upon history—portending the post-WWII portrayal of anti-Soviet Eastern European nationalists as fascists.
- Soviet EstoniaEstonia, Wonderful Present—Marvellous Future, Aleksei Müürisepp, Soviet Booklets, London, 1959—Career apparatchik and then soon-to-be 5th Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR Aleksey Aleksandrovich Myurisepp waxes eloquently of life under the U.S.S.R., one of a series of propaganda booklets produced about each of the fifteen Soviet Republics.
- Soviet LatviaLatvia—Our Dream is Coming True, Vilis Lācis, Soviet Booklets, London, 1959—Popular author during Latvia's pre-WWII independence and Soviet sympathizer signing deportation orders sending families to frosty death, Vilis Lācis writes of the materialization of Latvian dreams under the U.S.S.R., one of a series of propaganda booklets produced about each of the fifteen Soviet Republics.
- 1945 Literary Almanac1945 Literary Almanac (LATVIAN, Literatūras Gada Grāmata), E. Damburs, ed., VAPP Fine Literature Publisher, 1945—Still at war, Latvian Communists serving the Soviet cause declare literary Russification an enrichment of Latvian culture.
Updated: October, 2022
