Category: Rees-Jones Library of the American West

A Miner’s Manuscript

Pages of a German manuscript

How’s your German? And are you able to read 19th-century handwriting? If you answered yes, we’ve got a journal for you. In 1886, T. Liebscher delivered a lecture to a branch of the Craftsmen’s Association, recounting his life working in the gold mines of Colorado during the 1860s. An experienced miner and native of Germany,…Continue Reading A Miner’s Manuscript

Centuries-old materials impart enduring insights

When asked about Rees-Jones Collection items that have recently caught her eye, archivist Christina Wood zeroed in on these fascinating records of the human experience in the early history of our state and our nation. Searching for gold Though W.B. Dilborn’s journey across the Plains to California was not a remarkably easy one, it was…Continue Reading Centuries-old materials impart enduring insights

Breaking ground on the Rees-Jones Library of the American West

Forging ahead to a new frontier in scholarship SMU broke ground on the Rees-Jones Library of the American West on May 1, forging ahead to a new frontier of research, discovery and scholarly impact at the University. The library will enhance SMU’s ability to promote teaching and research on the American West, housing the world-class…Continue Reading Breaking ground on the Rees-Jones Library of the American West

Welcoming Our Newest Archivist and Cataloger

Congratulations to Christina Wood and Meg Wang! The archivist and cataloger for the Rees-Jones Library of the American West have been named. The individual who will fulfill the archivist role for the new library on the Hilltop is DeGolyer’s own Christina Wood, and Meg Wang will serve as the cataloger of the Rees-Jones Collection. Christina…Continue Reading Welcoming Our Newest Archivist and Cataloger

Rare Maps, Early Texas History, and Serendipity

The Rees-Jones Collection continues to expand as excitement mounts for the 2025 groundbreaking of the much-anticipated library. These articles by Pat Ward appear in the Fall 2024 issue of the SMU Libraries Newsletter. Mapping early Texas history An 1833 Texas map commissioned by Stephen F. Austin and presented to the Rees-Jones Library of the American…Continue Reading Rare Maps, Early Texas History, and Serendipity

Early Yosemite Photographs

Carleton Watkins photograph of El Capitan, Yosemite Valley (1861)

Yosemite: The Manchester Album The Rees-Jones Collection expands its holdings in masterworks by pioneering photographers of the American West with the recent acquisition of Yosemite: The Manchester Album. The unique compilation of 25 mammoth-plate images, captured by Carleton Watkins between 1861 and 1867, includes beautifully composed views of Half Dome, Cathedral Rocks, El Capitan and…Continue Reading Early Yosemite Photographs

Shaping the Future Through the Lens of History

painting of Yellowstone national park

  Thanks to the generosity of Jan and Trevor D. Rees-Jones ’78, SMU Libraries begins the next chapter for significant historical scholarship, research and collaboration. This article by Pat Ward appears in the Fall 2023 issue of the SMU Libraries Newsletter.         For the past two decades, Dallas entrepreneur Trevor D. Rees-Jones…Continue Reading Shaping the Future Through the Lens of History

The Next Chapter for SMU Libraries

For the past two decades, Dallas entrepreneur Trevor D. Rees-Jones ‘78 has been unearthing the untold stories of American history through a unique collection of rare historical artifacts of the American West. Now, this native Texan and his wife, Jan Rees-Jones, have made a remarkable gift to SMU. A substantial portion of the Rees-Jones Collection…Continue Reading The Next Chapter for SMU Libraries