By part-time photo archive assistant Zade Williamson. When I was asked to return to the Wittliff this Summer for a project, the answer was an immediate yes. I had previously interned at the Wittliff as a student and was excited to return for the task of rehousing and creating a preliminary inventory of archival materials …
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This post is by guest researcher and Texas State University Alumni Hector Aguayo. A year ago, I embarked on a long-awaited road trip through Texas, retracing the footsteps of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer whose survival story stands apart from the conventional narratives of European conquest. As a proud graduate of Texas …
Continue reading "We Matter, We’ve Always Been Here: How a 500-Year-Old Manuscript Helped Me Find Closure"
Before the musical influence of Motown, there was Duke-Peacock, a Black-owned record label located in Houston, Texas, that recorded some of the biggest names in blues, funk, and gospel music. Part of the Doug Hanners collection, these publicity photographs feature incredible artists, including Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Junior …
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The Wittliff Collections have acquired the archive of literary legend Charles Portis, whose personal papers were discovered in a hidden cache two years after the author’s death. The self-effacing Portis, an Arkansas native who died in 2020 at age 86, avoided publicity and kept a low profile during his lifetime. Yet his five acclaimed novels, …
Continue reading "Surprise discovery brings “True Grit” Author’s Archive to The Wittliff Collections"
Light seemed to follow Connie Todd everywhere. She had a natural stage presence, a gift she’d cultivated from an early age. Connie was only fourteen when she joined a prominent Austin orchestra as its lead vocalist in the 1950s. Her voice remained unforgettable to all who knew her. It flowed like a crystalline Hill Country …
Continue reading "The Remarkable Connie Todd (1941-2024) Wittliff Director 1997-2010"
Tesoros: Treasures of Mexican Photography is a new gallery at The Wittliff that highlights treasures from our extensive collection of Mexican photography. The inaugural exhibition was curated by two student interns, Deandra Lee and Blanca Luna Nuñez, working alongside Carla Ellard, photo-archivist. Deandra, BFA in Photography ‘24, interned at The Wittliff for course credit with …
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Continuing our series of blog written by our student employees, Alie Dowell writes about her experiences working as a metadata assistant. Alie assisted with The Wittliff’s metadata and archival description initiatives focusing on the migration of Microsoft Word and PDF collection inventories into ArchivesSpace to enhance online discovery and access. The Wittliff’s ArchivesSpace site can …
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By Avery Foligno, Student Collections Assistant, The Wittliff Collections During my first years at Texas State University, I was unsure of what I wanted to do after graduating with my degree in Anthropology. I had so many questions about my career path and felt very unprepared for my future. Right when I needed it though, …
Continue reading "A Path Towards Museum Studies"
By Wittliff intern Abigail Moon. As a student at Texas State University, I was pleased to join the Wittliff Collections team as a Digitization Assistant in Fall of 2023. My internship consisted of working with the unique archival materials found in the Texas Music Oral History project. This collection consists of interviews with a diverse …
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The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University have acquired the complete archive of internationally acclaimed writer Benjamín Alire Sáenz. A major literary voice from the US-Mexico borderlands, Sáenz is the author of nearly 30 books and his works have been published in 25 languages worldwide. Sáenz, who lives and works in El Paso, has said, …
Continue reading "The Wittliff acquires the Archive of Renowned Writer Benjamín Alire Sáenz"