CenterPoints - Issue 01 - Spring 2013

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE BRISCOE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HISTORY

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

SPRING SEMESTER 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

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NEWS TO HISTORY EXHIBIT OPEN

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CENTER ACQUIRES GEORGE WASHINGTON LETTER

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TEXAS HISTORY THROUGH TEXAS FURNITURE

DIRECTOR’S LETTER

MAKING SPACE FOR THE PAST

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ADVISORY COUNCIL Katherine J. (Kate) Adams Raye Virginia Allen The Honorable Michael A. Andrews John S. Blades Henry J. Boehm, Jr., M.D. Theodora (Teddy) V. Boehm William (Bill) W. Bottorff, Ph.D. Karey Patterson Bresenhan Penny H. Burck R.D. (Dan) Burck Paul Burns, M.D. Harvey Dorsey Caughey Jo Anne Christian Barbara Smith Conrad Joseph Cooper O. Howard Frazier, M.D. Richard Garriott de Cayeux Slavka Glaser Larry L. Harlan Jess T. Hay Jane Periman Hilfer Wm. Dean Justice Kate Sayen Kirkland, Ph.D. Kathleen Tobin Krueger The Honorable Robert C. Krueger Clyde R. Littlefield Janey Briscoe Marmion Scott N. Morse J.R. (Randy) Parten Agelia Pérez Márquez Charles R. Porter, Jr. Nancy O’Bryant Puentes Julian O. Read Joseph W. Royce Judith Garrett Segura Mark Stanton Smith Warren E. Spector Dianne Duncan Tucker Amy S. Villarreal Diana Walker Sheila J. Wojcik, Ph.D.

Briscoe Center for American History

his issue of CenterPoints celebrates the Briscoe Center’s activities in what has already been an incredibly busy year. Our archival collections brim with artifacts that, when exhibited in public spaces, foster historical literacy and the academic exploration of our nation’s heritage. In 2013, the center has been privileged to partner with two of the nation’s premier museums and their respective exhibit spaces.

In February, we opened News to History: Photojournalism and the Presidency, a major exhibit at the LBJ Library and Museum. Mark Updegrove, the director of the LBJ Library, gave us the opportunity to launch the library’s new temporary exhibit gallery with an exhibit from our collections. News to History, which features more than 120 photos from our extensive photojournalism collection, is organized by presidential administrations from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama. The reaction from visitors, media, and the toughest critics — the photographers themselves — has been gratifying, to say the least. We’ve spent more than 20 years developing this unparalleled collection, and it’s been a revelation to experience the power of these images when they are exhibited in one space.

We also look forward to Texas Furniture from Ima Hogg’s Winedale Collection, an exhibit developed in partnership with the Bullock Texas State History Museum that opens this summer.

Curated by Lonn Taylor, the exhibit marks the first time that items from our furniture collection will be on display outside of Winedale. I’d like to thank Joan Marshall, director of the Bullock, and her staff for all their efforts to make the exhibit happen, and I’d also like to thank Dr. John Hogg and David Garza, who graciously hosted a successful fundraising event for the exhibit.

The success of News to History and the anticipation of the Texas furniture exhibit give us a powerful incentive to have our own exhibit space to share our collections with the public. Our Campaign to Make History is the fundraising effort to modernize the Briscoe Center’s 41-yearold public service space in Sid Richardson Hall, Unit 2, on The University of Texas at Austin campus. That planned renovation will not only enhance our Reading Room, it will also provide us with 4,000 square feet of needed exhibit and public programming space, here on the UT Austin campus.

As part of the campaign, we received a $125,000 grant from the Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation to support the naming of the public programming space after Dr. Thomas M. Hatfield. The Hatfield Seminar Room will honor the life and legacy of one of the university’s most dedicated educators who has devoted his career to the research and study of World War II. The Hatfield Room was also the focus of two recent fundraising receptions: one hosted in Austin by Dan and Penny Burck, and one in Houston hosted by Dick and Susan Stasney.

Our thanks to the Cain Foundation, the Burcks, the Stasneys and all of the donors who have contributed to the Hatfield Room for their support.

As you read through the following pages, bear in mind there are many other things that go on at the center: archival, digitization, and oral history projects, for example, and public service and reference efforts. Please visit our website for an even deeper exploration of our holdings and activities: www.briscoecenter.org.

Don Carleton, Ph.D. Executive Director J.R. Parten Chair in the Archives of American History

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUE

SPRING SEMESTER 2013 Contributors: Alison Beck Lynn Bell Amy Bowman Don Carleton Brenda Gunn Ramona Kelly Denise Mayorga Erin Purdy Ann Serrano Zach Vowell Ben Wright David Zepeda

2 News to History

On display at the newly renovated LBJ Presidential Library, News to History captures the interaction of

13 presidents with their times.

4 George Washington Letter

Correspondence between the future first president and a future Revolutionary War general concerns the murder of three Indians by settlers.

5 Recent Acquisitions

Dolph Briscoe, John Nance Garner, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Courtesy of the Archives of Southwest Texas, El Progreso Library, Uvalde, Texas.

Matthew Naythons archive enhances photojournalism holdings. The papers of historian Louis Filler add to growing intellectual resources.

Editor: Ben Wright Designer: Chris Duncan

9 Connect: www.briscoecenter.org facebook.com/briscoecenter twitter.com/briscoecenter

6 Research and Collections

On his way back to Austin from prison in Mexico, Stephen F. Austin bought books about life, love, falling empires — and revolution.

7 Published 450 years ago

Take a closer look at the oldest book in the Briscoe Center’s collections, La Relación by Cabeza de Vaca.

8 Rayburn Museum

Mr. Sam’s museum in Bonham, Texas, has been

renovated and reopened. New interactive digital

features freshen Rayburn’s story for the 21st century.

9 Back on Track

The Briscoe-Garner Museum in Uvalde, Texas, is scheduled to reopen this summer after extensive renovations and repairs.

4 10 Publications

A pictorial history of President George W. Bush, as told by his photographer Eric Draper, and the fifth volume of ExxonMobil’s corporate history.

11 Materials in Action

Briscoe Center materials furnish researchers and journalists across the world with historical evidence.

12 Texas History told

by Texas Furniture

Winedale’s collections visit the Bullock Texas State History Museum. (Here are five things the exhibit will tell you that you probably never knew about Texas history.)

Divisions

Office of the Director Arno Nowotny Building 2300 Red River St. Stop D1100 Austin TX, 78712-1426 (512) 495-4684

Research and Collections Sid Richardson Hall 2.106 2300 Red River St. Stop D1100 Austin TX, 78712-1426 (512) 495-4515

Sam Rayburn Museum 800 West Sam Rayburn Drive Bonham, Texas 75418-4103 (903) 583-2455 

Briscoe-Garner Museum 333 North Park Street Uvalde, Texas 78801-4658 (830) 278-5018 

Front cover: Presidential hopeful Sen. John F. Kennedy and his running mate, Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, campaign in Texas, September 1960. Credit: Russell Lee Photograph Collection, e_rl_0085. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Back Cover: Selections from the UT Videogame Archive. For more information on the videogame archive please visit: www.utvideogamearchive.org.

Winedale Historical Complex 3738 FM 2714 Round Top, Texas 78954-4901 (979) 278-3530

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NEWS TO HISTORY

LBJ Library photo by Lauren Gerson

In March, the center hosted “An Evening with Diana Walker and Lucian Perkins” at the LBJ Auditorium. Perkins and Walker spoke about their favorite pictures in the exhibit while also giving the packed audience interesting insights into the work of White House photographers. The event coincided with the Briscoe Center’s Advisory Council meeting, which met the following morning. Watch the video: www.briscoecenter.org/walkerperkins

NEWS TO HISTORY: PHOTOJOURNALISM AND THE PRESIDENCY New exhibit on display at the LBJ Library showcases Briscoe Center holdings

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he Briscoe Center’s new exhibit, News to History: Photojourphotographers whose work is on display traveled to Austin for nalism and the Presidency, opened February 15. On display the occasion.

“I’ve never seen a body of work like this in one place,” photoat the LBJ Presidential Library until October 1, the exhibit journalist David Valdez told Culturemap Austin. “I’m a Texan. To showcases the Briscoe Center’s unparalleled photographic collections and highlights the 13 presidential administrations from have my photos displayed here is huge for me.”

The exhibit runs chronologically, taking the visitor through 80 Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama. years of America’s collective memory, as told by photojournalists.

The exhibit’s journey started when Mark Updegrove, director Many of the images capture presiof the LBJ Library, extended an dents in candid family moments as invitation for the Briscoe Center “We are delighted to partner with the Briscoe to create the inaugural exhibit Center in providing our visitors with a riveting well as being caught up within the pageantry of the public address. for the library’s new temporary journey through 80 years of presidential This exhibit gives the Briscoe Cenexhibit gallery. The library unadministrations.” veiled its completely renovated Mark Updegrove ter an opportunity to thank the phoDirector of the LBJ Presidential Library tographers who have donated their exhibits in December, and the archives. In 1992, the center initiopportunity to showcase Briscoe ated an ambitious program to collect and preserve the historically Center collections in such an impressive setting was accepted enthusiastically. valuable imagery produced by photojournalists.

In addition to iconic images of the presidents, News to His“I was immediately interested for a number of reasons; the centory features images of some of the events and personalities that ter already had a growing photography collection, and I had long helped define each president’s tenure, capturing the interaction of taught in my graduate seminars the importance of photographs the president with his times. as historical evidence,” says Don Carleton, executive director of The exhibit opened with a reception in February. Many of the the Briscoe Center.

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Briscoe Center for American History

President Richard Nixon with press photographers, ca. 1969–1974. Dirck Halstead Photographic Archive, di_08219.

Above top: President-elect Barack Obama and President George W. Bush meet in the Oval Office, November 10, 2008. Eric Draper Photographic Archive.

Above: President Gerald Ford holds a meeting with staff members in his suite at the Akasaka Palace Guest House in Tokyo, Japan, November 19, 1974. David Hume Kennerly Photographic Archive, di_08516.

In the years since, the center has gathered the archives of more than 30 nationally recognized photographers, including three Pulitzer Prize winners: Eddie Adams, David Hume Kennerly, and Lucian Perkins.

The center has also created a collection of iconic images of American history, from Joe Rosenthal’s Raising of the Flag at Iwo Jima to firefighters raising the flag in the midst of the rubble of the twin towers.

The Briscoe Center’s extensive photojournalism collections document key national and international newsmakers and events and include work published in virtually every major print media outlet. News to History exhibits just a fraction of these collections, but in a way that captures their essence as a resource for historians and members of the public alike.

For more information on News To History, go to www.briscoecenter.org/newstohistory.

“What moved me were the white-hot images from our relatively recent past: Vietnam, anti-war protests, civil rights marches, moon shots, assassinations, 9/11. The Briscoe Center houses scads of these priceless pictures, but what a jolt to see this selection all at once.”

Michael Barnes Columnist, Austin American-Statesman

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RECENT ACQUISITIONS

BRISCOE CENTER ACQUIRES GEORGE WASHINGTON LETTER

Letter illustrates a young Washington’s views about Indian relations

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ue to the generosity of Mr. Barron Kidd of Dallas, Texas, white settlers on the south bank of the Potomac. the Briscoe Center has acquired a letter written by the By 1769, Washington was in the midst of considerable efforts first president of the United States, George Washington. to expand his land holdings to the west, especially into what was The Briscoe Center’s letter from Washington to John called “the Ohio Country” (made up of what is now Ohio and Armstrong, written Aug. 24, 1769, finds Washington between parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia). It is understandable wars, actively pursuing his financial and domestic interests. that both Washington and Armstrong had a vested interest in During the period between his any developments in that region that marriage in 1759 and the start indicate serious trouble with “...the manner in which it happen’d is variously might of the Revolutionary War in the Indians and therefore inhibit 1775, Washington lived a busy related, and none of them favourable to the western expansion by colonists. life, serving as a vestryman and authors of the Mischeif—It seems this Murder Washington relays the informa(for it deserves no other name) was committed tion he has on the incident to Armas a member of the House of strong, along with his thoughts on Burgesses in Williamsburg, Va., on slight provocation...” the matter. According to Washingpurchasing land and managing ton’s intelligence, the three Indians were returning from “war” — his plantations.

Armstrong was an Irish immigrant who worked as a land surprobably a war party or raid against other Indians — and traveled veyor in Pennsylvania as well as serving as a justice of the peace. “through the Inhabitants” to be safe from further attacks.

Armstrong advised Washington about dealing with the Land OfWashington describes the incident as “murder,” “villainy,” and fice in Carlisle, Pa., while obtaining land grants and on develop“mischeif.” He demands “justice” and calls for such incidents to be ments in local relations with Indian tribes. (Later, he would serve “suppressd.” His indignation is also driven by a fear of “the evils as a major general under Washington in the Revolutionary War.) that otherwise must follow” if similar incidents were to go on unchecked and with increasing frequency.

The Briscoe Center’s letter discusses the murder (“for it deserves It is interesting to note that Washington demonstrates a keen no other name”) of three members of the Mingo Indian tribe by

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Briscoe Center for American History

RECENT ACQUISITIONS

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Above: The letter, written to John Armstrong on August 24, 1769, is an important acquisition for the Briscoe Center, shedding light on Washington’s views regarding Indian relations, his moral character, and his acute awareness of the public sphere.

awareness of colonial Virginia’s public sphere: “It is lucky however that … none escapd to carry the Intelligence, and we, in consequence, may represent it in as favourable a light, as the thing will admit of, having the knowledge of it confined to our selves.”

Washington obviously understood the destabilizing effect on communities that rumors of souring Indian relations could bring.

Washington’s attitudes appear to be in line with those of his peers. During an Aug. 8, 1769, meeting, the Council of Colonial Virginia notes that: no injury or violence be offer’d to the Indians; and if hereafter it should become a serious business proper measures may be taken for the defence of the Inhabitants, who should be caution’d that if they wantonly draw on a quarrel with the Indians, they will not be supported by Government.

Washington sincerely believed that, “the Redstone People … wish for nothing more than Peace & quietness.” At the same time, avoiding open hostility with Indians was in the interests of ambitious landowners such as Washington and the men of the Virginia Council. No doubt the council joined Washington in hoping that the Indians “will not suffer their discontent to lead them into Acts of open Hostility.”

he Briscoe Center has acquired the archives of award-winning Time photojournalist Matthew Naythons. This substantial collection, which documents iconic historical events such as the Vietnam War and the Nicaraguan Revolution, offers a window into the processes and rhythms of late 20th-century photojournalism.

After graduation from medical school, Naythons combined the practice of emergency medicine with travel around the globe as a photojournalist for SIPA and Gamma photo agencies, and publications including Time, Paris Match, Newsweek, National Geographic, and the Sunday Times of London.

The Naythons archive features more than 60 linear feet of transparencies: negatives: prints and videotapes in addition to paper records, correspondence, floppy disks, CDs, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. The new addition enhances the scope of the Briscoe Center’s rapidly growing photojournalism and news media holdings.

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he Briscoe Center’s archival collections cover a wide range of subject fields in U.S. history, with particular strengths in political, business, and social history. The recent acquisition of the papers of historian Louis Filler is an excellent example of a growing collection strength for the center: American intellectual history. Filler (1911–1998) was a leading scholar in the study of American social reform movements, particularly the antebellum abolitionist movement. The Filler Papers join other collections at the Briscoe Center that document the lives and careers of significant American scholars, including Walter Prescott Webb, Lewis Gould, Clarence Ayres, and C. Wright Mills.

The Filler Papers span 34 linear feet and cover the period from the 1940s to his death. The collection provides in-depth coverage of his teaching, writing, and research career, and serves as an illustration of the shifts in college-level history curriculum during the three decades following World War II. In addition, the papers include lecture and research notes, student papers and syllabi, scrapbooks and newspaper clippings, photographs, book and article manuscript drafts, tape recordings, legal documents, ephemera, publications, and other materials.

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COLLECTIONS IN FOCUS

STEPHEN F. AUSTIN’S BOOKSTORE RECEIPT On his way back to Texas, Austin bought books about life, love, falling empires — and revolution.

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fter two years in Mexico, part of that time confined to a jail cell, Stephen F. Austin received a passport in July 1835, issued by the Mexican government. Austin set off to return home to Texas, where the political climate had shifted and tolerance for Mexican rule had deteriorated in his absence. On his way back, he spent time in New Orleans, purchasing several books on what with hindsight appear to have been portentous subjects.

The Briscoe Center houses the Moses and Stephen F. Austin Papers. Austin’s passport, as well as the receipt detailing the book purchases, are part of the collection and provide helpful details regarding Austin’s return from Mexico.

The passport confirms that Austin boarded the Wanderer and set sail from Veracruz bound for the United States. The exact date of Austin’s landing in New Orleans is unclear, but the New Orleans Bee mentions Austin’s stay in its Aug. 12, 1835, issue.

While in New Orleans, Austin visited Hotchkiss & Co. Booksellers and Stationers, where he spent $27 on books. It is clear that Austin was interested in conflicts.

Listed on the receipt were two recent publications; Fall of the Roman Empire by J-CL Sismondi and History of the Revolution in England 1688 by Sir James Mackintosh

(both published in 1834). Austin also purchased Washington Irving’s military history work, Spanish Conquest of Granada.

These details furnish the curious researcher with irresistible conclusions. However, it cannot be ignored that other purchases listed on the receipt reflect very different preoccupations.

An issue of Atkinson’s Casket: or Gems of Literature, Wit, and Sentiment, a monthly literary magazine, and a copy of Penny Magazine, which focused on British culture, suggest a refined side to the future revolutionary. Since Austin wrote often and at length, it also seems fitting that the receipt includes a copy of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language.

Austin also bought the Young Man’s Own Book: A Manual of Politeness, Intellectual Improvement, and Moral Deportment, and Sacred Classics, or Cabinet Library of Divinity, featuring sermons on a variety of topics. All these books have in common the fact that they are works of nonfiction, and Austin seems to have been in a serious frame of mind in August 1835.

However, he did leave room for a novel: Pelham: Or the Adventures of a Gentleman, a tale of a young man with political aspirations — a topic that may not have been far from Austin’s heart.

Austin’s list of purchases, transacted shortly before his departure for Texas, should be interpreted within the wider context of Austin’s padi_04428 pers by delving into Austin’s writings during his time in Mexico City, his stay in New Orleans and in the months following his return to Texas. Just how much those books influenced, altered, or simply reflected Austin’s beliefs regarding the situation in Texas can only be understood after a wider scholarly pursuit.

The listing of books on the receipt might suggest a shift from Austin’s long-held moderate outlook regarding Texas’ relationship with Mexico toward one of resignation that conflict was inevitable.

Nevertheless, the receipt is an outstanding example of how archives continue to breathe life into historical research and understanding. Briscoe Center paper conservator Jennifer Evers recently rediscovered the book receipt during a multiyear Save America’s Treasures conservation project that stabilized the collection, ensuring that the Briscoe Center can allow researchers to use Austin’s original documents for years to come. Fortunately, Austin kept his receipt from Hotchkiss & Co. Booksellers and Stationers. And now it is preserved for all.

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Briscoe Center for American History

COLLECTIONS IN FOCUS

CABEZA DE VACA’S LA RELACIÓN

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ublished in Spain in 1555, La Relación y Comentarios del Governa

by Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca is the centerpiece of the Briscoe Center’s Texana and Western Americana collections. This small 164-page book written by Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca was his second published narrative regarding his travels and includes the first detailed account of Texas. La Relación follows his journey through his landing in the Florida Peninsula, navigation across the Gulf of Mexico, and finally his experiences in Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. This captivating account describes faith healing, shipwrecks, cannibalism, starvation, and kidnapping. With less than 30 known copies in the world, La Relación is a priceless piece of history. Over 450 years old, the Briscoe Center’s copy is in excellent condition and is regularly assessed for conservation repairs and improvements.

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Photo by Allen Rich, North Texas e-News

DIVISIONAL NEWS

RAYBURN MUSEUM, RENOVATED AND REOPENED

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he Sam Rayburn Museum reopened in November after a comprehensive renovation of its permanent exhibit, the first major overhaul of the exhibit since the museum opened in 1957. Thanks to the support of U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall, the museum was able to obtain the necessary funding for the renovation work.

Working closely with Riggs Ward Design and political historian Dr. Nancy Beck Young, Briscoe Center staff in Bonham and Austin spent many hours developing new exhibits, poring over the Rayburn Papers and other political collections to locate the most significant items to illustrate the life and legacy of “Mr. Sam.” Sam Rayburn served as a congressman during the administrations of eight presidents. Along with another Texan, Vice President John Nance Garner, he played a critical role in passing much of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation. He first became speaker of the House of Representatives in 1940 and held the position for longer than anyone in U.S. history.

The museum explores Rayburn’s life and career and depicts the importance of the role of the speaker of the House. Visitors will encounter topics such as Rayburn’s relationships with other national leaders, his political style and tactics, and specific examples of how his efforts shaped national policy, such as New Deal reforms and leadership during World War II. The renovation enabled important conservation work on some

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Briscoe Center for American History

of the Rayburn Museum’s treasures, including two historical items Rayburn brought to Bonham from the U.S. House of Representatives: an American flag that hung behind the speaker’s rostrum and a portion of the House’s seat row (circa 1900s). Additionally, a new resource was created — the archives explorer — that enables visitors to interact with Rayburn’s papers through a digital touchscreen interface.

The museum has always been an important educational resource for the Bonham and Fannin county communities, connecting them with the national narrative in a special way. In March, the City of Bonham issued a proclamation that was read at the museum’s open house to mark the 100th anniversary of Rayburn’s election to the U.S. House of Representatives. The proclamation urged “everyone to reflect on the many contributions made to the district in which he served, our state and our country.” It is the Briscoe Center’s hope that the newly renovated museum will enable people to do just that.

The centerpiece of the Sam Rayburn Museum is a replica of the formal office of the speaker of the House of Representatives.

During the recent renovation of the museum, a 360° image of the office was created. If you would like to view the image, please visit: www.briscoecenter.org/rayburn360

DIVISIONAL NEWS

BRISCOE-GARNER MUSEUM BACK ON TRACK

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fter several setbacks, the Briscoe–Garner Museum is scheduled to open this summer. Dedicated to the remarkable lives of John Nance “Cactus Jack” Garner and Dolph Briscoe, the museum will boast new exhibits, restored interiors and exteriors, and modern accessibility features.

With renovation work expected to finish shortly, focus will shift to installing the exhibits. On the first floor, exhibits will be devoted to Garner in a similar fashion to the museum’s original layout. In the near future, the second floor will feature exhibits devoted to Briscoe in a space previously closed to the public.

Such extensive renovations have required floors and walls to be reinforced, facilities to be upgraded and a special elevator to be installed. Concurrent with renovations has been the necessity of repair work. Briscoe Center staffers have battled with shifting foundations, asbestos abatement, and other unforeseen issues. In December, a fire broke out on the museum’s second floor. The Briscoe Center is indebted to the quick response of workers who contacted the emergency services promptly, and the comprehensive action of the Uvalde fire department, which had 35 firefighters

and three trucks fighting the blaze within minutes.

The fire was a setback, but because all Briscoe Center vendors must be insured, bonded, and licensed, the fire-related repair work has not affected the renovation budget. Smart project management has enabled much of the repair and renovation work to happen in tandem. Finally, because the fire occurred during renovation work, all the museum’s artifacts were safely in storage.

“Although it takes a little extra time to get things done, we’re very diligent,” Don Carleton, executive director of the Briscoe Center, told the Uvalde Leader-News. “We’re going to have a fine museum here in the near future.”

In order to help concerned members of the public keep track of progress, staff members have created the following webpage: www.facebook.com/briscoegarner. Webpage visitors can view photographs of recent construction work and access news stories about the work. The webpage’s content is regularly updated.

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MATERIALS IN ACTION

HOW BRISCOE CENTER COLLECTIONS ARE BEING USED BY US AND BY OTHERS

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he Briscoe Center partners with the University of Texas Press for the Focus on American History Series, featuring books that draw extensively from the center’s historical research collections. We also work with other presses and researchers to open our collections for use in their own projects. Whether photography monographs, political histories, memoirs, documentaries, or musical recordings, the Briscoe Center’s holdings have inspired a range of publications and productions encompassing key themes in Texas and U.S. history.

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FRONT ROW SEAT: A Photographic Portrait of the Presidency of George W. Bush Eric Draper, Foreword by President George W. Bush

EXXON: Transforming Energy, 1973–2005 Joseph A. Pratt with William E. Hale

Eric Draper, whose archives are housed at the Briscoe Center, was George W. Bush’s White House photographer for eight years. From a collection of nearly 1 million photographs, Draper has selected more than 100 images of Bush that portray both the public figure and the private man.

Through Draper’s lens, we follow Bush through moments of crisis such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the 2008 financial crisis.

Draper captures the humanity of the president through vivid portraits of emotional meetings with troops in war zones and wounded soldiers at home. Draper also captures happy, relaxed times with the president’s family and friends.

ExxonMobil’s history stretches from the time of kerosene lamps to the era of jet travel, from the days of finding oil by searching for surface indications to the days of using powerful computers to create 3-D seismic images of oil deep underground. Its learning curve was particularly steep in the years covered by this book, 1973–2005, when the company had to adapt to the new realities that confronted it at every turn.

The Briscoe Center houses the extensive ExxonMobil Historical Collection and is honored to publish the fifth volume of the company’s corporate history. Spanning the history of Exxon and its predecessors over 125 years, these volumes represent the longest in-depth account of a private company in existence.

Briscoe Center for American History

MATERIALS IN ACTION

Original Research: How others are using our collections Joseph E. Taulman Collection. di_08016

WHEN I RISE: BARBARA’S STORY CONTINUES TO INSPIRE

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remiering in 2010, the Briscoe Center film When I Rise documents the story of Barbara Smith Conrad, an African American music student at The University of Texas at Austin who became the target of racial discrimination after being cast in an opera alongside a white classmate.

Three years later, the film continues to inspire people at film festivals and awards ceremonies. This spring, When I Rise was chosen by the Texas Independent Film Network (TIFN) and the Austin Film Society (AFS) to be the first film in their spring program. The film was screened in College Station, Houston, Waco, El Paso, Austin, Mason, and Abilene. For a majority of “I cannot thank you enough for the screenings, a Briscoe CenWhen I Rise. It is very effective ter representative was on hand in Texas history courses, at least to discuss the film and answer the way I teach Texas history.” audience questions.

During the past year, When I Professor Philip Smith Rise has gone global. In March, History Faculty Texas A&M University Conrad was interviewed by (present at the College Station screening) the BBC World Service radio program Outlook after its researchers discovered the film. When I Rise is now being broadcast by networks in Israel, Spain, Hong Kong, Sweden, and New Zealand, as well as on Cathay Pacific Airways international flights.

In October 2012, the film won two awards at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema in Kent, United Kingdom — Best Short Documentary and Best Editing, Short Documentary.

People across the world connect with When I Rise because of its compelling, resonant themes such as human rights, racial discrimination, opportunity and reconciliation. The film is an outstanding example of how archives can work to share their collections with the public in the cause of historical literacy.

American Myth: In 1836 in East Texas, Comanches kidnapped 9-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker. Twenty-four years after her capture, she was reclaimed by the U.S. cavalry and restored to her white family, to die in misery and obscurity. Her story would be adapted into one of Hollywood’s most legendary films, The Searchers, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne.

Beginning in Hollywood and then returning to Texas, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Frankel creates a rich and nuanced anatomy of both the film and the myth in his book The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend. In doing so, Frankel spent many days at the Briscoe Center researching Cynthia Ann Parker, her son Quanah Parker, and the 40-year conflict between Texans and Comanches. His book cites seven separate collections and nine images from the Briscoe Center holdings.

“My work took me to nearly 20 research centers and libraries throughout the United States. None offered a more productive and pleasant experience than the Briscoe Center, and I’ll always be grateful for their help,” says Frankel.

American Spiritual: “I, Too” was released this spring. The recording was produced by Longhorn Music, the label of the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin. Pianist Artina McCain and soprano Icy Simpson tapped the Briscoe Center’s African American spiritual music collections for this recording.

American Icon: Jan Reid, author of Let the People In: The Life and Times of Ann Richards, used many materials from the Briscoe Center, which houses the Ann W. Richards Papers. “They have done a masterly job of sorting, arranging, and preserving a massive archive detailing Ann Richards’ life and career,” acknowledges Reid.

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UPCOMING EXHIBIT

TEXAS HISTORY THROUGH TEXAS FURNITURE

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exas Furniture from Ima Hogg’s Winedale Collection, a new exhibition, will premiere at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in July. Approximately 40 pieces of furniture from the Briscoe Center’s Winedale historical collection will be on display. The exhibition, running from July 13 to Oct. 6, will be the first time the furniture has traveled from Winedale since Hogg placed it there in the 1960s.

Before the rise of imported factory-made furniture in the 1880s, most Texans bought home furnishings from their local cabinetmaker. These artifacts speak to the craftsmanship of Texas’s immigrant European and native-born cabinetmakers, but they also reflect competing ideas about style, comfort, and gentility and what it meant to be a Texan during the 19th century.

Did you know:

Texas’ ethnic fault lines show up in the furniture record.

German furniture makers — many who emigrated from Central Europe after having been put out of business by factories — were superior to their Anglo-American counterparts. They worked by hand in groups of two or three and had served 11year apprenticeships. Anglo furniture makers made plainer “cookie cutter” pieces in larger shops and were quick to adopt mechanization.

Hispanic and African American period furniture is extremely rare.

Census records indicate very few people with Spanish surnames made furniture as professionals. However, in 1850s Houston, there were enough enslaved African American artisans to spur organized meetings by white craftsmen demanding monopolies for the “free mechanics.”

Nevertheless, little has survived from either community.

German Texas furniture connects Texas with communities internationally across history. German artisans migrated in the 19th century to many places including the

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Briscoe Center for American History

Winedale The Briscoe Center’s Winedale Collection owes its name to Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg (1882–1975), who bought and restored the 19th-century farmstead at Winedale, near Round Top, Texas, to house part of her vast collections. The only daughter of Texas governor James Stephen Hogg, she was a pioneer collector of furniture, material culture, and decorative arts. The Winedale Collection is recognized as the most significant collection of Texas furniture in the United States. Tours of Winedale’s buildings and artifacts are available by appointment. Visit www.briscoecenter.org/winedale.

The exhibit will be guest curated by Lonn Taylor, co-author of the recently updated and expanded two-volume edition, Texas Furniture (University of Texas Press). Taylor is the former director of Winedale. He is also a former curator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

Midwest, Brazil, and Russia. Period furniture in certain parts of Missouri and Iowa is practically identical to pieces found in Texas. In places as far afield as the Barossa Valley in Australia or in Mennonite communities in Mexico, furniture artifacts have been discovered that bear a striking resemblance to portions of the Winedale collection.

Texas furniture doesn’t mean Texas wood, at least not before the railways. Until the tracks came to town, it was easier to import by sea than by land. In Houston, that meant it was cheaper to get wood from Maine than from the forests of East Texas only 60 miles away.

Texas furniture encases early evidence of the American Dream.

Even on the frontier, once freed from feudal snobbery, European immigrant farmers sought furniture that symbolized aspiration, refinement, and mobility. Many immigrants came from classconscious countries where blue-collar workers had peasant-style Bauernmobel furniture, while the middle class enjoyed genteel Biedermeier-style furniture. When settled in Texas, immigrants rejected these class distinctions — German Texas furniture for rich and poor alike is almost exclusively Biedermeier.

CAMPAIGN TO MAKE HISTORY

SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN TO MAKE HISTORY

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he Campaign to Make History will modernize and update the Briscoe Center’s public service space in Sid Richardson Hall. When complete, the renovated Briscoe Center will include a new, highly visible entrance on its north side, facing the LBJ School of Public Affairs; 4,000 square feet of exhibition space; a state-of-the-art Reading Room, and a seminar room for public outreach programs. To make a tax-deductible contribution, contact Karen Gilbert at (512) 495-4369 or karengilbert@ austin.utexas.edu, or donate online at giving.utexas.edu/briscoe.

“I am particularly enthusiastic about the Campaign to Make History because it will make the Briscoe Center and its vast treasures more available to our students and the general public. The first-floor renovation will create a new, more visible entrance and spacious public galleries featuring rotating exhibits from the Briscoe Center’s historical archives. The hundreds of thousands of people visiting the LBJ Library each year will now see the Briscoe Center in a whole new light and be enticed to visit, explore, and learn about the center’s collections. Come and join me in making history!”

– Jane Periman Hilfer Incoming Chair, Briscoe Center for American History Advisory Council, 2013-2015

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briscoecenter.org (512) 495-4518

COLLECTIONS IN FOCUS

COMING OF AGE: THE UT VIDEOGAME ARCHIVE

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his year, the UT Videogame Archive celebrates its fifth year as a collection component of the Briscoe Center for American History. Since its beginning, the archive has grown from a novel idea to a body of documentation that preserves nearly every aspect of game development and game history.

Led by three inaugural collections donated by Warren Spector, Richard Garriott de Cayeux, and George “The Fat Man� Sanger, the archive now consists of more than 250 linear feet of paper, disks, audio-visual media and magazines, 2,000 games, and 30 game consoles. In addition, the archive has amassed close to 1 terabyte of digital content.

From vintage consoles to online games and smartphones, increasingly sophisticated videogames are placed all around us by a multibillion-dollar industry. This represents a rapid historical development since the 1970s. A growing videogame archive is important, because tracing the growing significance of videogames and the videogame industry as a strand of social, cultural, and technological history will undoubtedly be the pursuit of future researchers.

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