Research Ready: July 2017

Each month, we post an update to notify our readers about the latest archival collections to be processed and some highlights of our print material acquisitions. These resources are primed for research and are just a sampling of the many resources to be found at The Texas Collection!

July’s finding aids
By Paul Fisher, Processing Archivist

• • James Lee Barrett Screenplay collection, 1967 (#4001): Contains one screenplay entitled Bandolero!, written by James Lee Barrett in 1967. The resulting film starred James Stewart and Dean Martin, and centered around a bank robbery in Texas and subsequent chase into Mexican, “bandolero”-held territory.

• F.P. Leavenworth Confederate ordnance book, 1862-1865 (#4025): Collection consists of one order book written by F.P. Leavenworth during his command of the Confederate arsenal in Shreveport, Louisiana, and ordnance depot in Jefferson, Texas.
• BU records: Baylor/Paul Baker Controversy, 1961-1963 (#BU/394): Includes materials about the production of Eugene O’Neill’s play “Long Day’s Journey into Night” at Baylor University by director Paul Baker, and the university’s subsequent cancellation of the play. The collection contains thousands of letters in response to the controversy, among other files.
• Texas Navy records, circa 1970’s-1980 (#2201): The Texas Navy records consist of a brief history of The Texas Navy as well as various artistic prints produced in the 1970’s and 1980s.
• Betty Wilke Cox papers, 1896-2007, undated (#3860): Cox was a writer, editor, and publisher based out of Austin, Texas. Her collection includes manuscripts, correspondence, personal journals, research material, photographs, and biographical information.
• National Railway Historical Society, Central Texas Chapter records, 1887-1983, undated (#2519): Contains books, articles, photographs, maps, and other materials collected and produced by the Central Texas Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. This research was used for a self-published book, The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway: The Story of the Famous “SAP” Railway of Texas (1983).
• Richard D. Donner and Ronald L. Buck Screenplay collection, 1967 (#3998): Includes a single screenplay written by Richard D. Donner and Ronald L. Buck in 1967. Entitled Deaf Smith, the work chronicles the life of a frontiersman in Texas.
• “Where the Heart Is” Screenplay collection, 1999 (#3384): Collection consists of a screenplay for the film Where the Heart Is. The finished product contains scenes shot on Baylor University’s campus.
• San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway Company collection, 1891-1983 (#2448): Contains photocopies of annual reports and timetables produced by the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway Company from the 1890’s to the 1930s.
• Rose Franken Screenplay collection, 1936-1946 (#3967): Consists of four scripts and screenplays written by Rose Franken. Franken was a novelist and playwright best known for her “Claudia” stories and for their stage and film adaptations.
• Gerald Drayton Adams Screenplay collection, 1953 (#4000): Includes the “Shooting Final” screenplay, written by Gerald Drayson Adams in 1953, and related materials. Titled Three Young Texans, the story is set in the 1870s and centered around a train robbery in Texas.

July’s print materials
By Amie Oliver, Librarian and Curator of Print Materials

Sullivan, John H., Jr. “Gun-play” by the World’s Fastest Revolver Shot “Texas Jack.” [United States]: [publisher not identified], [between 1932 and 1937]. Print.

“Texas Jack” Sullivan, who claimed to be the world’s fastest revolver shot, analyzes the skills of other accomplished gunmen such as “Broncho John” Sullivan, “Wild Bill” Hickok, and “Bat” Masterson. Sullivan also offers advice on handling weapons and what one should do if involved in a “stick-up.” Click here to view in BearCat.

West-Texas: Das “Land der Gelegenheiten.” [Dallas, Texas?]: [publisher not identified], [1906?]. Print.

Written in Fraktur, this promotional booklet was produced by the Texas & Pacific Railway to entice Germans to West Texas. Like most promotionals, this one provides information on farming, climate, and opportunities.  Click here to view in BearCat.

Texas Prohibition Songs. Waco, Texas: Published and for sale by B. H. Simpson, [between 1900 and 1935?]. Print. 

This two-sided pamphlet contains songs such as “Prohibition Battle Hymn” and “Vote the Whiskey Out,” all with a clear warning about demon liquor. Click here to view in BearCat.