SMU Libraries Digital Collections Update: March 2021

In March 2021, SMU Libraries uploaded 360 items into SMU Libraries Digital Collections. Highlights include:

140 real photographic postcards, 1904-1937, from the John Miller Morris Real Photographic Postcards and Photographs of Texas. This project was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and Texas State Library and Archives Commission (Grant Number TXT-21010). (2021). These postcards feature images from across Texas, including Kimble, Junction, Sonora, Llano, and others, and includes views of Texas landscapes, local school buildings, and a number of bridges. One example is a photograph of a bridge crossing the Colorado River in Bastrop, which bears a sign reading, “Any Person Who Shall Ride or Drive Across This Bridge Faster Than A Walk May Be Fined In The Sum Of One Hundred Dollars.”

4 interviews from the the Southern Methodist University Oral History Interviews and Digital Humanities Student Projects collection. These interviews, with Adrieanna Reyes, Briantria Smocks, Astrud Villareal, and Gina Weber, are part of the Voices of SMU project.

104 film negatives, ca. 1868-1936, from the Collection of Dallas Morning News Negatives and Copy Photographs. These images show portraits and group photos of many of Dallas’ notable residents and visitors. Included are members of the SMU founding commission, the Belo and Bryan families, assorted civic leaders and public figures, sports teams, trade unions, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Texas Rangers, and veterans of the Texas Revolution. Miscellaneous negatives show artifacts on display in G. A. Holland’s Double Log Cabin museum in Weatherford, as well as President William Howard Taft and Congressional Representative William Jennings Bryan visiting Dallas.

21 items, 1909-1950, primarily portraits of Everette Lee DeGolyer, Sr., from the Everette Lee DeGolyer, Sr. papers. Highlights include a portrait of Mr. DeGolyer with his son, Everett Jr.

1 book, 1897-1898, the Siloam Springs, Arkansas City Council Minutes. This book contains handwritten minutes taken for the Siloam Springs city council in the years 1897 and 1898.

Now available in SMU Scholar: the first two issues of Field and Laboratory (1932-1933). This publication contains papers published by faculty, students, and alumni from SMU’s Science Division, from 1932-1959. The articles cover many scientific areas, including biology, chemistry, physics, meteorology, earth sciences, and the history of science.

1 photograph, ca. 1914, from American Border Troops and the Mexican Revolution, which shows the Naval School in Veracruz, Mexico, damaged after the Battle of Veracruz.

42 photographic prints, ca. 1875-1889, from Bengal Nagpur Railroad and Views of India. These photographs feature scenes from India, Egypt, and Portugal, and include a number of photographs of construction sites. Of particular note are a series of cyanotypes which showcase the construction of a railroad tunnel, and photographs of the aftermath of the Bombardment of Alexandria, ca.  July 11-13, 1882.

Bridwell Library updates:

A non-profit in Tokyo, Japan is using 22 lantern slide images from the William E. Muse Lantern Slides for a film for missionary schools in Japan. The non-profit will profile a Japanese pastor whose life was greatly influenced by an American Baptist missionary, Captain Bickel, which is part of the Muse collection.

The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (Vatican) is using several archival images from the Second Vatican Council (which promoted non-Catholic observers to attend as delegates) for a publication of the 60^th anniversary of the office. Several images from the Albert Cook Outler Papers will be included in the publication.