William B. Travis Letter and Senator John G. Tower

Senator John G. Tower reads William Barret Travis’ “Victory or Death” letter, 1964.

On March 2nd of each year, Texas celebrates its own independence day. On that day in 1836, 56 mostly Anglo settlers in Mexican Texas declared Texas to be independent from Mexico, and published a Declaration of Independence to that effect.

The most well-known battle during the Texas Revolution was the Battle of the Alamo. Many people know this battle through popular culture – either from their classrooms as children, or one of the many movies produced dramatizing the battle. The Texian combatants in the Alamo, however, fought not for the independence of Texas, but rather for a return to the Mexican constitution of 1824. Continue reading “William B. Travis Letter and Senator John G. Tower”

Carl Hertzog and the Bullfight that Never Happened

Cuenca Plaza de Toros, 1949.

This broadside, measuring five inches wide by seventeen and a half inches tall, advertises a bullfight (or, corrida) that never occured. We acquired the broadside this month from William Allison of Houston. I must admit to being taken aback when I first saw it – as with much of Carl Hertzog’s best work, it is visually arresting. Continue reading “Carl Hertzog and the Bullfight that Never Happened”

Letter from F. Warren Roberts to Edward A. Clark

In preparation for an essay about Edward A. Clark in the publication The Book Collector, I have been going through the multitude of boxes that comprise the papers of Ambassador Clark. The letter, above, and draft, below, surprised me, as it is a direct connection between Clark, who gave his collection of Texana to Southwestern in 1967; and F. Warren Roberts, whose family gave his collection of Texana to Southwestern in 2016. Continue reading “Letter from F. Warren Roberts to Edward A. Clark”

This Bitterly Beautiful Land

This Bitterly Beautiful Land: A Texas Commonplace Book, 1972.

I’ll confess to having more favorite books in the collection than I can name from memory. It’s an occupational hazard, and a side effect of having such an outstanding collection here. The book above is consistently in my “most favorite” books, and a recent discovery in the papers of Edward A. Clark prompted me to share this breathtaking book with you. Continue reading “This Bitterly Beautiful Land”

J. Frank Dobie Sign

Last week we hosted Jeff Roberts and Vicki Tullius – the children of F. Warren Roberts. I brought out some of the great material Jeff and Vicki donated from their father’s library – outstanding Texana items, association books, and Tom Lea material. Perhaps the single most significant item in the collection is the unassuming sign you see above.

Continue reading “J. Frank Dobie Sign”

Friend Collection Association Copies

Today is the final post highlighting particularly notable items from Llerena Friend’s collection. Of course, there is a great deal of material we have not even discussed, and so this is not the last you’ll see of Dr. Friend’s library. This post focuses on association copies, although I must confess that the last two choices are perhaps here out of personal attachment. Continue reading “Friend Collection Association Copies”