What do a sugar railway in Cuba, U.S. soldiers hunting Pancho Villa, and a priest blessing a taxi in Mexico have in common? They’re all part of a fascinating array of newly digitized materials now available in SMU’s Digital Collections. These rare materials, held by DeGolyer and Bridwell and digitized by the Norwick Center for Digital Solutions, offer unique glimpses into personal, cultural, and industrial histories across continents and time periods.
Machines and movements: Trains, soldiers, and the paths they forged
Step into the world of early 20th-century industry and transportation with a rare glimpse at detailed locomotive drawings from the Baldwin Locomotive Works Records. These six unique blueprints of trains, now available digitally, offer an inside look at the engineering behind some of the most important trains that helped shape global mobility and industry from 1896 to 1921. Featuring designs from railways like Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light, Wellington & Manawatu, Ciego de Avila Sugar, Chilean State, Tank, Alexander & Baldwin Ltd., and an unidentified client, these drawings reveal the complexity and innovation of machines that moved people, goods, and soldiers across continents. This collection provides a valuable resource for researchers and enthusiasts alike, bringing to life the technology and craftsmanship behind the iron tracks that connected the world. In addition, 71 photographs of Polish locomotives (ca. 1917-1950) from the David Goodyear Collection of Foreign Railroad Photographs, show locomotives from Poland or built in Poland for other national railways.
Building on this narrative of movement and connection, another remarkable visual record offers insight into the human and military side of early 20th-century transportation and campaigns. A collection of 84 photographs of life during the 1916 U.S. Punitive Expedition, led by General John J. Pershing in pursuit of “Pancho” Villa. The images depict military encampments, transportation, equipment, and interactions between soldiers and civilians along the U.S.-Mexico border and northern Mexico. Though combat scenes are absent, the photos offer a valuable glimpse into soldiers’ daily experiences and the broader U.S.-Mexico relations during the Mexican Revolution.
Life in Mexico: Portraits, streets, and sacred scenes
The Digital Collections are also enriched by newly digitized images from the Mexico – Photographs, Manuscripts, and Imprints collection. Throughout 46 photographic prints of people in Mexico (ca. 1880s-1960s), some moments feel posed and formal; others are fleeting and candid. Each image is a thread in the fabric of Mexican life across decades.
Showing a wide variety of photographs of Mexican citizens, tourists, U.S. soldiers, and others in an equally diverse range of activities, many of these photographs are portraits and others show scenes from everyday life. Sacred shrines, taxis and street scenes, families gathered to be photographed, individual portraits, soldiers, and more are featured equally in this selection.
Preserving Texan voices of the past and present
The Voices of SMU collection continues to grow, offering new insights into the lives and experiences of those connected to the university and its broader community. Four recent oral history interviews, featuring Jo Lew, Kirk Ogunrinde, Michelle Ried, and Reverend Denise Sawyer, have been added as part of the project. Each conversation reflects a personal journey, capturing stories for the future, and adding depth to the university’s shared history. The SMU Libraries oral history studio, where many interviews are recorded, has added new Aputure lighting to the studio space funded, in part, by a President Partners grant.
Another layer of history comes through 105 newly digitized issues of the Texas Christian Advocate, a weekly Methodist newspaper from 1895 to 1896. Originally distributed by the Methodist Episcopal Church, the paper offered news and commentary relevant to the church and its members across Texas. These newspapers, preserved on microfilm by Bridwell Library and digitized by Texas Tech University, provide a rare window into the religious and social landscape of the time, and are part of the Historic Newspapers at Bridwell Library collection.
Additional Texan voices preserved include that of Darwin Payne with the digitization of two reporting notebooks and one typed transcript by the reporter for the Dallas Times Herald, as well as three photographs of John Holmes Jenkins, a noted Texas historian and bookseller.
A new look for World War II publications
More than 300 documents in the U.S. Government Publications from World War II digital collection, formerly known as Historic Government Publications from World War II, have been updated. The information about each item has been reformatted to match current standards, with descriptions, language, and other information added to each record to aid in accessibility and discovery. In addition, the .pdf files associated with each record have been upscaled and have had metadata, accessibility tags, and OCR added to them. Additional newly-digitized publications will be added to the collection over time.
A library partnership with purpose
The Norwick Center for Digital Solutions is committed to working with its library partners to digitize special collections and unique holdings, digitally preserve the files and metadata in perpetuity using best practices, and present selected holdings via the SMU Libraries Digital Collections website.
SMU Libraries will continue to preserve stories from the past and present through the efforts of the Norwick Center. By building and maintaining digital collections, the Libraries ensure that these stories – and the stories yet to come – remain accessible for future generations.
This post was written in collaboration with the Norwick Center for Digital Solutions.