News from the DeGolyer Library
February 2019
Southern Methodist University
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"A Highway to the Pacific": Building the Transcontinental Railroad.
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On May 10, 1869, the last rail was laid, a golden spike was driven, and the Union Pacific Railroad, proceeding west from Omaha, and the Central Pacific Railroad, proceeding east from Sacramento, met at Promontory, Utah, having built together the first transcontinental railroad in the world.
Our current exhibit of original pamphlets, maps, photographs, government surveys, and other materials tells the story of this “highway to the Pacific,” as promoters often called it. A great technological achievement, the railroad was the subject of intense political debate, and played a leading role in the long-term development of the American west.
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Located in the Hillcrest Foundation Exhibit Hall in the Fondren Library, “Highway to the Pacific
”
runs till May 17
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If you've ever underlined a passage, or scribbled in the pages of a book, you're in good company. In '
Notes in the Margins
' Christina Jensen shares the story of our 1622 copy of Francis Bacon's
The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh,
and traces the marks left on its pages by multiple owners across the centuries.
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"Corporations are people, my friend."
It's with that cheery quote from Mitt Romney that Joan Gosnell begins her exploration of '
Corporate Christmas Greetings
' which examines cards sent by retail giants J.C. Penney and Neiman Marcus, as well as the work of industrial photographer
Robert Richie
.
The DeGolyer is home to the
J.C. Penney records,
as well as the personal papers of founder
James Cash Penney
, and the personal papers of Neiman Marcus president
Stanley Marcus
. Click the links above to learn more about each collection.
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In '
A Life of Service: George H.W. Bush
' Anne Peterson takes a look at the life and accomplishments of the former President. In his 94 years, Bush was a navy pilot, oil tycoon, and congressman, before his term as Commander-in-Chief. His life is highlighted by photographs from the Andy Hanson collection. Hanson was a staff photographer for the Dallas Times Herald, who captured the political, business, and social elite of Texas.
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Joan Gosnell, University Archivist
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Meet Joan Gosnell, our University Archivist. Born in NYC and raised in Pennsylvania, Joan earned her BA from Juniata College, her MA in history from the College of William and Mary, and her MLIS from the University of North Texas. Joan was the corporate archivist for J.C. Penney when company headquarters, and the collection, moved from NYC to Dallas in 1988. In 2004, Joan and J.C. Penney collection joined the DeGolyer.
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As University Archivist, Joan documents the history of SMU. The University Archives serve as a research repository for the administrative history of the school, and preserve the collective memory of SMU. In addition, Joan is the curator of the J.C. Penney records, one of the largest collections at the DeGolyer.
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The SMU Archives on Facebook
Click below to check out the SMU Archives on Facebook, where University Archivist Joan Gosnell highlights the history of SMU through photographs, student yearbooks, and ephemera from the University's past.
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Visit the Hamon Gallery to view Information/Object: Late 20th Century Artists' Books, the new exhibit by the Hamon Arts Library, featuring a number of artists books from the DeGolyer Library.
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Collections Highlight
Usually we highlight books because the author or text is historically significant. But in the case of
John
Estaugh’s
A Call to the Unfaithful Professors of Truth
it's the printer, Benjamin Franklin, who catches t
he eye. Our copy of the work was a gift from bibliophile and collector Stanley Marcus, who donated his personal library, as well as his papers, to the DeGolyer.
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New Accessions
Raised by television? Then you may have missed out on playing 'Penney's Stop and Go Safety Game'. Created by J.C. Penney in cooperation with the National Safety Council to teach traffic safety, this pamphlet game board was recently acquired by Joan Gosnell for the J.C. Penney collection.
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Newly Digitized Items
85 photographs from the George W. Cook Dallas/Texas Image Collection were recently digitized, including a number of photographs of students training at the Crozier Tech Cosmetology school, including this hair-raising photo of students using a permanent wave machine.
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DeGolyer Library | Southern Methodist University |
214-768-3637
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degolyer@smu.edu
| https://www.smu.edu/Libraries/DeGolyer
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