TEXAS OVER TIME: Waco, TX., the Home of Dr Pepper and the old Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Co. (Dr Pepper Museum)

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By Geoff Hunt, Audio and Visual Curator, The Texas Collection, Baylor University. 

Texas has changed quite a bit over the years, as is readily seen in our vast photograph and postcard collections. To help bring some of those changes to life, we’ve created a “Texas over Time” blog series that will illustrate the construction and renovations of buildings, street scenes, and more. Our collections are especially strong on Waco and Baylor images, but look for some views beyond the Heart of Texas, too.

                 From the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company to the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute, Waco, TX

Dr Pepper, America’s oldest major soft drink, has its origins in Waco, Texas. It all started in 1885 when pharmacist Charles Alderton discovered what would become the famous brand at the Old Corner Drug Store, once part of the McClelland Hotel, located on 321 Austin Avenue. To help interpret the story of this famous beverage, Waco is very fortunate to have the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute. It is housed in what was originally the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company. This old bottling plant was the first facility to produce the soft drink when soda fountain production of Dr Pepper wasn’t sufficient enough to keep up with demand. The structure, located on the corner of Fifth and Mary Streets, Waco, Texas, was built in 1906 and designed by architect Milton Scott. Its brick walls measure 18-inches in thickness and are supported by a solid timber foundation. On May 11, 1953, this was tested when an F5 tornado gashed through the side of the main structure causing considerable damage (see our earlier Texas Over Time post highlighting this). After operations moved to bigger spaces and corporate functions moved to Dallas, the old building sat unused for many years until May 11, 1991, when it officially became the wonderful museum complex it is today. It has since taught countless individuals the story of Dr Pepper, the soft drink industry, and the concepts of business and free-enterprise. The following photographs attempt to tell some of this amazing story by taking us back in time over 100 years and up to the rich legacy Waco’s very own soft drink brand has left us with today.

The “Then” picture in the image sequence below shows: Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company, Fifth and Mary Streets, Waco, TX, circa 1912. The “Now” picture shows the building as the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute. “Then” picture is by Fred Gildersleeve and digitized from the original 8×10 glass plate negative. Gildersleeve-Conger collection, The Texas Collection, Baylor University. August 2020. “Now” image of same location by Geoff Hunt.

The main picture in the image sequence below shows: Waco, TX, circa 1912 – Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company and early delivery vehicles. The following images in the sequence are close-up’s/crops of the same picture. This area shows what is now part of the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute. This part of the structure faces the Kellum-Rotan Building, which is also part of the current museum complex. Fred Gildersleeve photograph digitized from the original 8×10 inch glass plate negative (hence the fine detail). Gildersleeve-Conger collection, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

Same view in August 2020, as above main image of the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute’s outdoor area. Photo by Geoff Hunt, August 2020.
A sign on the wall of the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute’s Kellum-Rotan Building, part of the complex. Notice how close Magnolia Market at the Silos is! Photo by Geoff Hunt, August 2020.

                                                                         

Welcome Back to The Texas Collection

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This post was written by Amie Oliver, Interim Director and Librarian/ Curator of Print Materials

Though The Texas Collection reading room has been closed to researchers since late March, we are excited to announce that on August 24, we shall open our doors for public use. Staff returned to the the office in June and have made changes that we hope will ensure the safety of all who visit. With these changes, we are putting forth our best effort to ensure quality service.

Below are some of the changes:

  • Masks are required in all Baylor University buildings. All must have on a mask to use The Texas Collection, and the mask must cover the nose and mouth for the duration of the visit.
  • Hand sanitizing stations are found throughout the building.
  • There are now capacity limits in each of our researcher areas
    • Reading Room capacity is fifteen (15).
      • Twelve (12) seats at the research tables and three (3) soft seating spaces.
    • Microfilm Room capacity is one (1).
    • Media Room capacity is three (3).
    • Map Room capacity is five (5).
  • Due to limited capacities, appointments (with a start and end times) are encouraged for materials use. Researchers without appointments may be turned away depending on reading room capacity.
  • Researchers will place any bags into lockers upon arrival. Lockers will be self-service with keys kept in the lockers. Lockers will be disinfected each day.
  • All materials used are quarantined for seven days after the last use by a researcher.
  • After use, staff will wipe any tables or technology used by researchers.
  • There are now only have two computers for public use.
  • Those using the reading room to study may have to seek another space should a researcher need to use materials.

Staff are still available for instruction and presentations which can be delivered safely and in a variety of formats. Email txcoll@baylor.edu if you would like to discuss setting up a session. 

Even with the above safeguards, we understand some patrons may feel uncomfortable researching in person at The Texas Collection. As we learn more about serving the public, we may alter our environment and open times, but staff  continue to do our best to offer virtual reference assistance via email or telephone. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions or concerns. 

We look forward to seeing you at The Texas Collection.

 

“Prohibition in McLennan County and the State of Texas”

Cartography
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The term “Prohibition” conjures up a variety of images including flappers, speakeasies, moonshiners, bootleggers, and extravagant parties. However, it is important to remember that the 18th  Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol was not a moment in time, rather, the end of a long-waged campaign, one that often had local roots. Beginning in the 19th century, the Temperance Movement was an effort to combat the consumption of alcohol in the United States. The concept of temperance often found fertile soil among religious groups, particularly women. The original focus of the movement was on moderation and the individual person. However, by the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the focus had shifted to complete abstinence from alcohol (known as “teetotaling”) and an emphasis on the legal prohibition of alcohol throughout society. As Prohibition gained more support, reformers, known as “drys,” sought to implement local options on city and county levels. Initially met with great resistance, the push towards Prohibition ultimately gained significant traction.

Society’s gradual shift towards accepting Prohibition can be seen in the history of McLennan County. From 1885 to 1917, there were at least five elections regarding prohibition in the county. The Day, a Waco newspaper, reported on September 1, 1885 that Prohibition had failed with 3,681 votes against and only 1,733 in favor.[1] Thirty-two years later, on October 24, 1917, the Waco Semi-Weekly Tribune announced that Prohibitionists had finally triumphed in an election by 1,273 votes.[2] This newspaper article also examined the past four local option elections, starting in 1895. Over the 22-year period, it is evident that Prohibitionists were slowly gaining ground. As a result of the reformers’ perseverance, McLennan County went dry on December 1, 1917.

When considering these election results, it is important to remember that only white males over the age of 21 could vote at this time. Although African American men could theoretically vote due to the 15th Amendment (1870), they were, in reality, disenfranchised by various means including poll taxes, literacy tests, intimidation, and violence. Women were also prohibited from voting.

The 1920 U.S. Census reported a population of almost 83,000 people.[3] Taking into account the voting restrictions addressed above, a vote by an estimated 11% of the population caused McLennan County to transition to a dry county.

While the major focus of the Prohibitionists’ efforts tended to be on the county level, advocates were also working on the state and federal levels. An article in the Waco Semi-Weekly Tribune dated July 26, 1911 referenced the current state-level prohibition election as well as a similar election held in 1887.[4] In 1907, the Baskin-McGregor Act was passed by the Texas Legislature. This law “defined licensing procedures and prescribed operating hours and conditions”[5] for a wide array of activities and actively prohibited

  • prostitutes or lewd women;
  • any woman from entering or remaining in bars;
  • any vulgar or obscene pictures;
  • keeping or using any piano, organ, or other musical instrument;
  • any boxing, wrestling, or sparring;
  • and any games such as billiards tables, card, dominoes, etc.[6]

Ultimately, Prohibition became the law of the land when the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on January 26, 1919. The law went into effect a year later. The state of Texas also passed a state constitutional amendment in favor of Prohibition in 1919.[7] The state amendment was not repealed until 1935, although the 21st Amendment to the U. S. Constitution effectively ended national Prohibition in 1933. After alcohol was legalized in Texas once again, the local option persisted as a means to combat the consumption of alcohol. Over the past 90 years, McLennan County has remained a partially wet county, with certain precincts and cities oscillating between wet and dry.

A pamphlet of songs for Prohibition that was printed in Waco, Texas. Texas Prohibition Songs. Circa 1900-1935. Texas RBT HV5090.T4 T49 1900z, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
The results of Prohibition elections from 1895 to 1917. “Pros Win County by 1,273 Majority,” Waco Semi-Weekly Tribune, October 24, 1917, Vol. XXIII No.43 ed., The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
A map of Texas that depicts wet and dry counties in the state. Prohibition Map of Texas. Circa 1908. Drawer 27, Folder 1 (31263030918335), The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
The Prohibition Amendment to the Texas State Constitution. The Dean Law and the Prohibition Amendment to the Texas Constitution by R.V. Nichols and L.C. Sutton. Austin, 1919. Texas HV5090.T4 N5 1919, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

[1] The Day (Waco, Texas), September 1, 1885, Vol. 2 No. 240 ed., accessed July 21, 2020, https://digitalcollections-baylor.quartexcollections.com/Documents/Detail/the-day-waco-texas-vol.-2-no.-240-tuesday-september-1-1885/482322.

[2]  “Pros Win County by 1,273 Majority,” Waco Semi-Weekly Tribune, October 24, 1917, Vol. XXIII No.43 ed., accessed July 21, 2020, https://digitalcollections-baylor.quartexcollections.com/Documents/Detail/waco-semi-weekly-tribune-waco-texas-vol.-23-no.-42-wednesday-october-24-1917/581383.

[3] United States, Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population 1920: Number and Distribution of Inhabitants, (Washington, D.C: Government Printing Office, 1921), page 637, accessed July 21, 2020, https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1920/volume-1/41084484v1ch5.pdf.

[4] “The Battle of Ballots Over,” Waco Semi-Weekly Tribune, July 26, 1911, Vol. XVII No. 17 ed., accessed July 21, 2020, https://digitalcollections-baylor.quartexcollections.com/Documents/Detail/waco-semi-weekly-tribune-waco-texas-vol.-17-no.-17-wednesday-july-26-1911/568271.

[5] Motl, Kevin C. “Under the Influence: The Texas Business Men’s Association and the Campaign against Reform, 1906-1915.” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 109, no. 4 (2006): 494-529. Accessed July 21, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/30242333.

[6] Texas, State Senate, Journal of the Regular Session of the Thirtieth Legislature (1907), page 954; 963, accessed July 21, 2020, https://lrl.texas.gov/scanned/Senatejournals/30/S_30_0.pdf.

[7] Handbook of Texas Online, K. Austin Kerr, “Prohibition,” accessed July 21, 2020, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/vap01.

Research Ready: July 2020

Austin's Colony, Civil War, diaries, letters, Texas
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By Sylvia Hernandez, Archivist

The Texas Collection posts newly accessible resources each month. If you have any questions or would like to use these materials, please let us know and we would be happy to assist!

Finding Aids
  • Thomas W. Gaines papers (#1851)
    • The Thomas W. Gaines collection contains correspondence, legal and financial papers, military records, and books of military tactics from the American Civil War. Gaines was a Lieutenant Colonel in the 50th Illinois Infantry.
  • Alexander Hunter Chamberlin papers (#351)
    • The Alexander Hunter Chamberlin papers include letters to his wife, Temperance Killinsworth Aldridge Chamberlin, about his temporary work in the California gold fields.
  • Walker Family papers (#248)
    • The Walker Family papers consist of correspondence, legal, financial, and photographic materials from various family members, especially James Frances Walker Jr. and William Collett Walker. The Walker Family moved to Texas from Kentucky as part of Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three Hundred Colony.
  • Lucretius Harrison Graves papers (#2845)
    • The Lucretius Harrison Graves papers contains the Civil War diary of Lucretius Harrison Graves, soldier in the 6th Texas Cavalry.
  • Pier Family papers (#3250)
    • The Pier Family papers contain transcriptions of letters written by Samuel Bradford Pier during the Civil War, color photocopies of members of the Pier family, genealogical information, photocopies of clippings, programs, and other materials.

 

 

TEXAS OVER TIME: 600 Elm Street, Samuel H. Clinton Grocer and Hardware Building at 140 Years Old

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By Geoff Hunt, Audio and Visual Curator, The Texas Collection, Baylor University. 

Texas has changed quite a bit over the years, as is readily seen in our vast photograph and postcard collections. To help bring some of those changes to life, we’ve created a “Texas over Time” blog series that will illustrate the construction and renovations of buildings, street scenes, and more. Our collections are especially strong on Waco and Baylor images, but look for some views beyond the Heart of Texas, too.

“Then:” The old Samuel H. Clinton Grocer and Hardware store building on 600-602 Elm Street, Waco, TX., unknown photographer, circa 1900. General Photo File-Businesses-S. H. Clinton; “Now:” recent photo of same structure by G.H., 2020. 

600 Elm Street, S.H. Clinton Grocer and Hardware Building

Sometimes an old structure doesn’t have to be designated as a state landmark or have to have been the site of a famous event to be considered “historic.” What does seem to help is when a structure survives intact and maintains most of its original design for well over a century. On 600 Elm Street, Waco, TX, one such example exists. The building on this site was built in 1880, and in the early 1900’s, was owned by Samuel H. Clinton. Clinton was a supplier of groceries, farm and feed implements, wagons, buggies, tents, harnesses, and cotton. Throughout the rest of the 20th century, the large structure served as a furniture store. Its sturdy two-story design allowed for multiple uses and this seems to be why it still stands after 140 years. Given the age, this makes it one of the city’s oldest surviving buildings built for commercial use. In fact, the Waco Suspension Bridge was just 10 years old when the old structure at 600 Elm was completed! Elm Street is in a direct path to Waco’s famous old bridge and it was the longest of its kind west of the Mississippi River back in 1870. Having a business in this location was desirable and a very wise investment at the time. Waco is fortunate to have such historic structures such as this one on 600 Elm Street, and this Texas Over Time hopes to take the reader back through the years to help demonstrate this.

“Then:” 600-602 and adjoining structures on Elm Street during a flood, unknown photographer, circa 1900. General Scrapbook collection, Box 3; “Now:” recent photo of same location by G.H., 2020. 

 

Looking up Elm Street from the Brazos River side, 1979, by Myron Wood (cropped); the two-story 600-602 building has “Home Furniture” painted on its side. Next door to its right, the structure at 604-606, that’s seen in the above image as a saloon and Central Hardware, was still standing at this time but not in 2020; Sanger-Wood Photographic collection, Baylor University, The Texas Collection.
Looking up Elm Street from the Brazos River side (same view as above); 600-602 building is where the car is passing, 2020, by GH. Notice some buildings have been taken down since the above 1979 image was taken.

 

Research Ready: June 2020

Abner V. McCall
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By Sylvia Hernandez, Archivist

The Texas Collection posts newly accessible resources every month. If you have any questions or would like to use these materials, please let us know and we would be happy to assist!

Finding Aids
  • BU Records: President Emeritus’ Office (Abner Vernon McCall) (BU/297)
    • BU Records: President Emeritus’ Office (Abner Vernon McCall) contains records relating to Judge Abner Vernon McCall’s time as President Emeritus of Baylor University from 1985-1995. Records include correspondence, reports, and documents concerning Baylor University as well as external organizations McCall had involvement in.
  • BU Records: Chancellor’s Office (Abner Vernon McCall) (BU/283)
    • BU Records: Chancellor’s Office (Abner Vernon McCall) contains records relating to Baylor University’s Chancellor from 1981-1985, Judge Abner Vernon McCall. Records include correspondence, reports, and documents concerning Baylor University as well as external organizations McCall had involvement in.
  • Henry Clay Lindsey papers (#257)
    • The Henry Clay Lindsey papers contain Lindsey’s reminiscences as captain of Company D, 47th Alabama Infantry during the American Civil War.
  • William Wesley Hurley papers (#370)
    • The William Wesley Hurley papers contain a single transcribed letter (original letter not included in collection) describing his service in the 3rd Cavalry, Texas State Troops, during the American Civil War.

 

Texas Over Time: Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Co. to Magnolia Market at the Silos in 2020

Architectural Photography, architecture, Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Mill, Fred Gildersleeve, Magnolia Silos, Uncategorized
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By Geoff Hunt, Audio and Visual Curator, The Texas Collection, Baylor University. 

Texas has changed quite a bit over the years, as is readily seen in our vast photograph and postcard collections. To help bring some of those changes to life, we’ve created a “Texas over Time” blog series that will illustrate the construction and renovations of buildings, street scenes, and more. Our collections are especially strong on Waco and Baylor images, but look for some views beyond the Heart of Texas, too.

Magnolia Market at the Silos on Sixth Street and Webster, Waco, TX., Fred Gildersleeve image, 1920. General Photo Files-Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company; recent photo of same by G.H., 2020. Note: the Silos Baking Co. building on the corner is one of the original structures.  

BRAZOS VALLEY COTTON OIL CO. TO MAGNOLIA MARKET AT THE SILOS IN 2020

Cotton was once Waco’s biggest industry. The rich soil in and around McLennan County, with its Blackland Prairie’s, facilitates the growth of this once abundant local crop. The city had multiple cotton mills, yards, and a railroad system to transport the crop across the country. Cotton by-products such as oil from the seeds were also manufactured in the city. Cottonseed oil is used in industrial and culinary applications (cooking oils) and was in very high demand in the first half of the 20th century. In 1910, to help meet this demand, Waco businessman J.T. Davis started the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company–now the present day site Magnolia Market at the Silos.

Vast storage and processing facilities were needed for production and the company occupied the entire block within Webster, Jackson, Sixth, and Seventh streets in Waco. At times, it employed up to 75 workers. In 1949-1950, after several devastating fires and storage mishaps in their buildings, the company built two large 120-foot-tall storage silos. Although ownership changed, B.V.C.O.C. remained in operation into the mid-1960’s. After this time, the facility was used for storage by JPM Feeds. However, It remained unoccupied for years and saw little use until the property was purchased by Waco’s Chip and Joanna Gaines in 2014. It soon became one of Texas’ biggest tourist attractions and Magnolia Market at the Silos still attract thousands of visitors to this site. Through The Texas Collection’s photographic archive, see how this old Waco manufacturing facility evolved and has changed over time into 2020!

Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company throughout the decades and Magnolia Market at the Silos in 2020. “The company occupied the entire block within Webster, Jackson, Sixth, and Seventh streets in Waco, TX.” General Photo Files: Waco Aerials (cropped), Google Earth 2020. 

Works Sourced:

“Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Firm Sold,” The Waco Tribune-Herald, July 13, 1958.

Burke, Anabel. “Magnolia Market at the Silos”. Waco History. Retrieved 2020-06-11.

“Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Mill | Waco History”. Waco History. Retrieved 2020-06-11.

Commemerating the Invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944, USAAF Capt. Walter Davis Gernand, BU Class of 1940

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By Geoff Hunt, Audio and Visual Curator, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

A graduation picture of Walter Gernand, taken in about 1940.
A graduation picture of Walter Gernand, taken in about 1940. Gernand, (Walter, General Photo Files #3976, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.) 
Walter Gernand is receiving his USAAF, Air Medal, in this image
Walter Gernand is receiving his USAAF, Air Medal, in this image. He was also awarded the prestigious Purple Heart. (Frank Jasek Papers.)

Seventy-six years after the Invasion of Normandy (D-Day), on June 6, 1944, we wish to pay tribute to a young Texan and Baylor graduate (class of 1940), Walter Davis Gernand, who died on a return trip after participating in this historic mission during World War II. Gernand, a former Baylor Bear football player, was from Beaumont, and signed up for service in the U.S. Army Air Forces on May 1, 1941. He received his pilot’s wing’s on December 12, 1941. Soon after, he was flying P-38 Lightnings in the 50th Fighter Squadron. In February of 1944, he transferred to the 8th Reconnaissance Photo Squadron, part of the USAAF’s 325th Photographic Wing.

Gernand had logged many flight-hours by this time, and his skills were much needed in the U.S. and Allies’ fight against Hitler’s Third Reich. His squadron’s intelligence work, as well as that of other similar units, helped with military operations including the U.S. Invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. On June 8, 1944, returning from this D-Day mission, Gernand’s photo-reconnaissance aircraft crashed in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire in the south of England. It is believed that mechanical failure caused the mishap. Eyewitnesses stated that he initially tried to land the crippled aircraft in a field with a park nearby but quickly avoided this area after seeing children at play below. His quick decision saved countless lives but proved fatal for Gernand and his crew member as the aircraft slammed into a railroad embankment and exploded on impact, killing him and his USAAF photographer, Sgt. Elbert Lynch.

In doing so, Gernand not only died for his country and cause but also sacrificed his life in trying to avoid these children in the English countryside, the same ones he was fighting for across the English Channel. Gernand and Lynch’s destination was the USAAF’s home at Royal Air Force Watton, in Norfolk, England. Their remains were later interred at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Cambridgeshire, England.

In 1972, the Chiltern Historical Aircraft Preservation Group received news of the crash site in nearby High Wycombe, England. The railroad embankment crash-site was excavated and  unearthed one of the two engines, a propeller fragment, and Gernand’s gold Baylor University ’40, class ring (below). The Preservation Group contacted the University and the ring was presented to Walter Gernand’s mother, Mrs. C.A. Gernand of Beaumont, TX. Mrs. Gernand later returned the ring to Baylor where it was kept on display in the Letterman’s Lounge at Baylor Stadium, in memory of the fallen warrior and former Baylor Bear.

Phot0 of Walter Davis Gernand's Baylor University '40 class ring, found at the crash-site of his de Havilland Mosquito aircraft, where the young pilot and Baylor Alumnus lost his life in 1944.
Walter Davis Gernand’s Baylor University ’40 class ring, found at the crash-site of his de Havilland Mosquito aircraft, where the young pilot and Baylor Alumnus lost his life in 1944. (Gernand, Walter, General Photo Files #3976, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.) 

Works Sourced:

Frank Jasek Papers, Accession #3932, Box #6, Folder #8, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

Research Ready: May 2020

Cartography, Mexico, Research Ready, Texas
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By Sylvia Hernandez, Archivist

The Texas Collection posts newly accessible resources every month. If you have any questions or would like to use these materials, please let us know and we would be happy to assist!

April maps

Carte du Mexique et des pays limitrophes situés au nord et à l’est, 1811; Translated as “Map of Mexico and the Neighboring Countries to the North and East”

From the same atlas as the famous Carte Générale du Royaume de la Nouvelle Espagne (translated as “General Map of the Kingdom of New Spain”), this map gives more context to Texas by depicting the southern half of the North American continent. Unlike many of its cartographic predecessors, this map correctly depicts the course of the Rio Grande River.

Hispania Nova, circa 1597; Translated as “New Spain”

An early map published in Corneille Wytfliet’s atlas Descriptionis Ptolemaicae augmentum (translated as “Ptolemy’s World Augmented”), this map focuses mostly on Mexico with information on Texas limited to the coastline. Most of the Texas rivers are incorrectly drawn, because Texas remained relatively unexplored by Europeans except for Spanish missionaries.

Historic Preservation at The Texas Collection

A Day in the (Texas Collection) Life, Adina E. De Zavala, Books, Fred Gildersleeve, glass plate negatives, Independence, Jews in Texas, Marvin Griffin, Preservation
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May is Historic Preservation Month. To learn more about the history of National Historic Preservation Month check out this National Park Service web page: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/national-historic-preservation-act.htm.

When people think of historic preservation, the first thought is generally of large, grandiose buildings in need of repair. Historic preservation encompasses not only architecture, but culture, religion, archaeology, place, people, and other related topics. It can be achieved through a variety of methods such as repairing historic buildings, reenactments, historic dance and music, and digitizing fragile and/or popular material that cannot withstand excessive handling.

The Texas Collection provides historic preservation through archival and print materials. In doing so, access and education are provided to a larger audience, two of the primary purposes for this type of work. Read on as our staff shares projects they have worked with and tips to keep in mind for your own preservation needs.

Paul Fisher, Assistant Director and Processing Archivist:

Many Texans and Texas groups have supported historic preservation through the years. Several of our collections document these activities, such as the Adina E. De Zavala papers. De Zavala was a noted historic preservation figure in San Antonio in the early 1900s.

Baylor University was founded in Independence, Texas. Texas Collection staff works with various partners in Independence to operate two historic sites as well as a visitor center. Visitors learn about early Texas history, historic preservation efforts, and the history of higher education in Texas.

Sylvia Hernandez, Archivist

The Ima Joy Chodorow Gandler Texas Jewish collection is one of twenty-four collections at The Texas Collection documenting the Jewish Community in Waco. Even with all the information provided, there are still gaps, mainly with the photographs.

*Pro Tip* Label photographs with names, dates, and events depicted.

Geoff Hunt, Audio and Visual Curator:

Image of Gildersleeve glass negative with ruined emulsionIn the early 1970s, Roger N. Conger donated Fred Gildersleeve’s film archive to The Texas Collection which included approximately 1,100 glass, 8×10 negatives. They had been stored in a backyard shed for decades and were damaged by the extreme heat of Texas summers. Since then, we have carefully gone through each one of Gildersleeve’s negatives, placed them in acid-free, archival folders and boxes, and have stored them on heavy-duty shelving in a climate-controlled environment. This ensures proper long-term preservation so future generations can enjoy this rich collection as much as we do!

The glass negative in the picture demonstrates this damage where a portion of the silver-gelatin emulsion layer heated up and chemically bonded with another glass negative stacked above it. Despite this, the image is still a valuable part of the collection, as much of the picture is still intact. (Waco Old Corner Drug Store, c. 1911. Gildersleeve-Conger collection, The Texas Collection, Baylor University).

Amie Oliver, Associate Director and Librarian/Curator of Print Materials

Do not use nails to bind a book. Several years ago, we had an annual that we could not open because the binding was too tight. We sent it to the campus preservation specialist who discovered nails, which had rusted, had been used to rebind the item. He carefully removed the nails, and because the spine was destroyed, created an acid-free phase box to house the annual.

*Pro Tip* Protect materials (books, photos, documents, etc.) by keeping them cool, dark, and dry. Sunlight can irreversibly fade items and heat can cause them to degrade quickly while moisture invites mold.

Brian Simmons, Coordinator for User and Access Services:

A common preservation issue that occurs is the use of adhesive tape to repair damaged books or documents. Often, I have come across items that have been repaired with cellophane tape decades ago. The repaired area is usually discolored and the piece of tape itself has fallen off. While tape might fix the problem in the short term, over time the adhesive can cause permanent damage.

*Pro Tip* Storing damaged items in an acid free box or folder is recommended. An acid free container will keep all parts of cherished heirlooms together without incurring further damage.

Benna Vaughan, Manuscripts Archivist:

The Texas Collection is home to the Marvin Griffin materials, a prominent African American pastor and activist. The collection contains an extensive amount of audio-visual materials: three compact discs, seven video tapes, 48 reel-to-reel tapes, and approximately 1,571 audio cassettes. In order to preserve these materials to provide access in a digital format, The Texas Collection is working with Digitization and Digital Preservation.

 

Copyright © 2024 Baylor University, The Texas Collection. All rights reserved.