Museo del Periodismo y de las Artes Gráficas (The Museum of Journalism and Graphic Arts), Guadalajara

The Museum of Journalism and Graphic Arts, a significant cultural institution, occupies the restored "House of the Dogs," a 19th-century neoclassical residence distinguished by dog sculptures on its rooftop. The site holds historical importance as the location of Guadalajara’s first printing press, established in 1792. It also marks the birthplace of The American Awakener, Mexico’s first independent newspaper, first published in December 1810 with the support of Miguel Hidalgo, known as the Father of Mexico, and Francisco Severo Maldonado, a politician and philosopher during the Mexican Independence.

Inaugurated on August 11, 1994, the museum is run by the municipal government and is recognized as a historic monument by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. The museum features several permanent galleries, tracing the development of visual communication-from Paleolithic cave art through Europe’s origins of the printing press and onto Guadalajara’s first local print shop. Visitors can admire 19th-century printing machinery-cylinder presses, platen presses, an antique router-as well as displays on the graphic arts prepress, printing, and bookbinding techniques.

Beyond its printing heritage, it also presents four temporary exhibition rooms dedicated to photojournalism and related graphic arts. The museum includes a specialized journalism library, a periodical archive, and a cozy auditorium seating around 80 for film screenings, lectures, or workshops.