08/26/2026
A few of you guessed correctly – this is a business card for the Santa Lucia Hotel in New York City, owned by Valentin Aguirre! Born in Bizkaia, Aguirre first came to New York in 1895 where he met and married a Basque woman, Benita Orbe. The two opened and operated a travel agency and boardinghouse, Casa Vizcaína, later renamed the Santa Lucia Hotel.
These cards were both an advertisement and a directory. The front of the card notes that Aguirre was, “Specially authorized by steamship companies to accommodate passengers,” and that, “agents and interpreters of the house are on the docks and at railway stations.” The back of the card had a message to anyone who the passengers might encounter once they arrive in the city (policemen, railroad conductors, station guides, and other railroad employees), stating, “The proprietor of this hotel respectfully requests of you to direct the bearer by the easiest route possible how to get to 82 Bank Street, blocks south of 14th Street facing 8th Ave. and Abingdon Square.” Valentin and Benita helped many Basques get their footing in a new country, and helped immigrants purchase tickets and plan travel to the West Coast, along with sharing the names and information of Basque boardinghouses they could find at their final destination.
(Donated by Celeste Landa, 2021.017.001)
