La Campana de Gràcia’s masthead: symbols and iconography

Abstract

By analysing language used in the press we can reveal details of republicanism and the working-class movement in Catalonia at the end of the 19th century. To do so, we can use iconography and symbolism as another means of approaching the political and cultural meaning of this language. Thus, one of the objectives is to provide an outlook using the symbols that represent the complexity of social structures in the workingclass and republican sphere. The result is a description of the political situation through the press. In this instance, we use the magazine La Campana de Gràcia, a good example of the press of the times as it is of significant ideological complexity. We must take into account the political weight of its director, Josep Roca i Roca, and his broad social influence.

keywords: La Campana de Gràcia, Catalan press, republicanism, anticlericalism, Josep Roca i Roca, iconography.