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”

Carl Hertzog Exhibition Preparation

Tom Lea (L) and Carl Hertzog (R), 1967

Readers of this blog know that we are in the midst of what I am calling “the year of Hertzog.” As I’ve discussed in the past, I have an unabashed love for the work of the Printer at the Pass, and the recent acquisition of the collection of Dr. Llerena Friend dramatically expanded our Hertzog collection.

It seems only fitting, then, that the third of our four exhibits this year will be focused on the work of Carl Hertzog held here in Special Collections. Continue reading “Carl Hertzog Exhibition Preparation”

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”

Friend Collection Ephemera Highlights

This is the second of four posts highlighting especially notable material from the Llerena B. Friend collection – and this post is focused on the notable ephemera found in the collection.

Dr. Friend was a librarian by profession, as you recall. She was the first director of the Barker Texas History Center – and her work as a librarian shows itself in many ways in the collection. Her attention to collecting ephemera and other small works results in her collection today having material that is especially difficult to find. Continue reading “Friend Collection Ephemera Highlights”

Kendall, Falconer, and the Texan Santa Fe Expedition

This is Thomas Falconer, British citizen and participant in the Texan-Santa Fe Expedition of 1841-1842. Some of the most significant material in the Clark Collection in Special Collections is from Falconer and his family. I was reminded of this material as I looked through the William Reese Company‘s most recent catalog, which revisited the now-famous Streeter sale. Continue reading “Kendall, Falconer, and the Texan Santa Fe Expedition”