New Captivity Narrative

Posted on 2013 March 8 by KristinaRosenthal

Captivity Narrative Broadside

Recently, the department of Special Collections acquired a very interesting document. The broadside titled Murder by the Indians of a Mother and Ten Children tells the captivity story of William Bond and his family in Louisiana in early 1809, published in Philadelphia in 1810. Captivity narratives are stories of people captured by enemies whom they generally consider “uncivilized.” In this story, as in most early American captivity narratives, the enemies are Native American tribes. To date, most historians disregard the narratives, being suspicious of the accounts. Captivity narratives sprang from an era of racial bias and misunderstanding. Although there was a significant amount of violence between early American colonists and Native peoples, it is hard to discern fact from fiction in the first person accounts of white settlers. However, some contemporary historians and anthropologists have found the narratives useful in analyzing how the colonists constructed the “other”, as well as what the narratives reveal about the settlers’ sense of themselves and their culture and the experience of crossing the line to another. Accounts of captivity narratives based in North America were published from the 18th through the 19th centuries.

Our new captivity narrative was written in the first person point of view by William Bond,

Captivity Narrative Broadsife

the unfortunate father who lost his wife and all ten of his children. The narrative is written as a letter from William to his brother accounting his horrible tale. The broadside tells how the “savages” attacked his home immediately killing his seven youngest children and burning down his home, looting it for goods and livestock. William, his wife, and three oldest children were then taken captive and forced to accompany the natives into the “uncultivated wilderness”. During the ordeal the natives brutally butchered Bond’s children and wife leaving William alone. After watching his family tortured, William decided to escape. Somehow he was able to escape the camp but was followed by two natives whom he then killed. The narrative concludes with William saying,

“Thus, my dear Brother, have I given you the details of a very bloody and melancholy transaction from the period of its occurrence I shall date my wretchedness I—from that period have I bidden adieu to all earthly enjoyment, that you may be never thus afflicted if the sincere prayer of your unhappy brother.”

William Bond’s account will join our growing collection of captivity narratives. Here at Special Collections we house several stories of early Americans who were forced into Native captivity. Included in our collections is Mary Rowlandson’ famous captivity narrative. Rowlandson’s story is one of the most studied and read captivity narratives. Written by Rowlandson, the narrative is one of the earliest captivity narratives written in 1676. Due to the narrative’s popularity it was published in multiple editions and distributed early on throughout the colonies.

Come by Special Collections, located on the fifth floor of McFarlin library, to see Bond’s broadside narrative and Rowlandson’s, among many others.

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New Books

Posted on 2013 February 25 by Alison M. Greenlee

Our newest purchases are now ready for use! Come see an assortment of fine press books, with heavy representation from the Incline Press.

The Incline Press of Oldham, England has been publishing books since 1993. With six printing presses and over 50 titles to date, this letterpress print shop is located in the center of Oldham in an old cotton mill building. For more on the Incline Press, see the publisher’s website.

New Books

Front row, left to right:

  1. Macgregor, Miriam. Midwinter: Wood-engravings. Risbury, Herefordshire: Whittington Press, 2012. (NE1147.6.M33 A4 2012)
  2. Blamires, David. Danger & Destiny in the Fairytales of the Brothers Grimm. Oldham: Incline Press, 2012. (GR166 .B53 2012)
  3. Grimm, Jacob. Jorinde & Joringel: A Grimm Brothers Tale of Enchantment and Magic. Oldham: Incline Press, 2012. (GR166 .B536 2012)
  4. Davies, W. H. The Lovers’ Song-book. Newtown, Powg, Wales: Gwasg Gregynog, 1993. (PR6007.A8 L684 1993 Folio)
  5. Anagnostakis, Christopher. The Anagnostakis Pocket Guide Austrian German and Swiss Antiquarian Bookdealers Terminology. Oldham: Incline Press, 2012. (Z318 .A6 2012 Undrsz)
  6. Krieger, Martin. The Visit. Oldham: Incline Press, 2008. (Z250.A2 W452 2008 Undrsz)
  7. McMillan, Ian. The Days Out, the Weeks Away. Oldham: Incline Press, 2012. (PR6063.A25376 D37 2012)

Back row, left to right:

  1. Moss, Graham. A Collation of Specimens Displaying the Types & Typography of Broadsheets and Some Other Ephemeral Printing All Now Hung Out to Dry. Oldham: Incline Press, 2007. (Z232.I375 I63 2007 Oversize)
  2. Sgantas, Judy. ABC of Bugs and Plants in a Northern Garden. Newark, Vt.: Janus Press, 2012. (N7433.4.S43 A3 2012 Art Undrsz)
  3. Cinamon, Gerald. E R Weiss: The Typography of an Artist. Oldham: Incline Press, 2010. (Z250.A2 W45 2010 Oversize)
  4. Harrison, Michael. Writers and Artists of the Dorset Coast. Oxford: Pleomorphic Parrot Press, 2006. (DA670.D7 H37 2006 Oversize)
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McFarlin Fellows Dinner: An Evening with Dame Antonia Byatt

Posted on 2013 February 22 by Carlos Acosta

The University of Tulsa was graced with the presence of English novelist, poet, and Booker Prize winner Dame Antonia Byatt on the evening of February 21st, at this year’s first Fellows Dinner. Dame Antonia, who writes under the nom de plume A.S. Byatt, delighted those in attendance with insights into her creative process, particularly regarding her most recent novel, Ragnarok: The End of the Gods.

The evening began with a reception in McFarlin Library’s Ann and Jack Graves Faculty Study, where attendees were able to meet Dame Antonia in a casual setting. Following the reception, the crowd made its way to the Pat and Arnold Brown Reading Room for dinner, where R. M. and Ida McFarlin Dean of the Library Adrian Alexander formally welcomed those in attendance. Following the welcoming remarks, Dean Alexander introduced the guest speaker.

Dame Antonia spoke about her creative process, which differs from other writers in the sense that she does not subscribe to the adage “write what you know,” preferring to absorb knowledge as the process develops. Her work, commented Dame Antonia, is heavily influenced by music and art, which seep into her pages, coloring her words and adding an atmosphere of musicality to her novels. Interestingly, Dame Antonia also remarked that during her writing she never crosses out or erases anything, because she finds that she always revisits her ideas, which provides new perspectives.

After her lecture, Dame Antonia took part in a short Q&A session where she was asked about different aspects of her writing processes. When asked by this writer about when should an author withdraw from a work in progress and consider it done, she explained that, in her case, the novel tells her when it is finished. Dame Antonia describes it as an organic feeling of completeness and interconnectedness within the book.

The staff of McFarlin Library’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives would like to express our gratitude to Dame Antonia for honoring us with her presence. Her insights into her creative process will surely prove invaluable to those following her footsteps.

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The Rise of the Aerospace and Aviation Industries in Oklahoma

Posted on 2013 February 18 by Carlos Acosta

Many people outside the state of Oklahoma do not realize the role the Sooner State has played in the history of the aerospace and aviation industries in the United States. Since World War II, Oklahoma has been one of the world’s major aerospace-industry centers, including an impressive array of aerospace employers and some of the largest maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) facilities in the U.S.

2008-049-6-aviation-airports.019

Oklahoma’s aviation history is quite distinguished. Clyde Cessna began testing aircraft in the state during the early decades of the 20th century. Following the First World War, the state experienced the founding of two airlines, Tulsa-Oklahoma City Airways in 1927 (founded by Tom and Paul Braniff, who went on to establish Braniff Airways) and Southwest Air Fast Express (S.A.F.E.) in 1928, established by future oil-industry tycoon and founder of the eponymous oil company, Erle P. Halliburton. Both Tulsa-Oklahoma City Airways and S.A.F.E. were bought by the then American Airways, beginning what became American Airlines’ long-standing relationship with Oklahoma.

In the 1930s, Oklahoma was also home to two U.S. aviation pioneers: cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, social commentator, motion picture actor and “Oklahoma’s favorite son” Will Rogers, and famed American aviator Wiley Post. Post’s record-breaking round-the-world flight in 1933 in a Lockheed Vega named ‘Winnie Mae’ is still regarded as a landmark in U.S. aviation history. He then went on to develop one of the first pressure suits, which allowed him to fly to an altitude of 50,000ft in 1934 and discover the existence of the jet stream. Post and Rogers died together in 1935 when the Lockheed Explorer floatplane they were flying crashed on take-off near Barrow, Alaska.  Both men’s passion for aviation has been immortalized by Oklahoma City in naming its main airport Will Rogers International Airport and its large business-aviation airport Wiley Post Airport.

Oklahoma’s aviation heritage came of age in the Second World War, when two large industrial facilities were built by the Douglas Aircraft Company near Oklahoma City and Tulsa. These facilities would build bombers for the U.S. Army Air Force and employ more than 40,000 workers, half of them women who would become the fabled ‘Rosie the Riveters’. These cultural icons representing the American women who worked in factories during World War II became the center of a publicity campaign which also began in Oklahoma.

After the war, the paths of the Douglas Aircraft Company facilities gradually diverged: the Oklahoma City plant became Tinker Air Force Base, today the largest aircraft-maintenance complex and military-aviation logistics center in the world, while the Tulsa factory declined over a period of many years. However, the scene was set for Oklahoma to develop its aerospace industry.

The University of Tulsa’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives is proud to provide a glimpse into Oklahoma’s aviation history. As part of the Robert M. McCormack Photographic Archive, the collection holds hundreds of aviation-related photographs from the era of the burgeoning aerospace industry in Oklahoma. We invite our patrons and the general public to take a look at some of these photographs in our Digital Collection or to visit us at the 5th floor of McFarlin Library

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Roger Easson Library of William Blake mention

Posted on 2013 February 18 by Marc Carlson

The Roger Easson Library of William Blake held here at Special Collections was mentioned this morning by the donor on his blog.

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Happy Valentine’s Day

Posted on 2013 February 14 by KristinaRosenthal

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Special Collections! Special Collections is full of romantic poetry, novels, greeting cards, and even song books. Since today is the day of love the special collections department wants to take some time to show one of our incoming acquisitions that would make your sweetheart swoon.

The Lovers’ Song-book by W.H. Davies consists of poetic lyrics that were intended for song. These poems portray the different stages of love; young love, married love, love grown old, and even love lost. The book was printed by the Gregynog Press in 1933 and the poems were intended to be set alongside a series of wood engravings by Blair Hughes-Stanton. Unfortunately the press directors for the publication company did not approve of the nature of the engravings and rejected the illustrations. In hopes of achieving a compromise with the press directors the publishers commissioned Gertrude Hermes to illustrate the poems with her wood engravings. Again, the directors rejected the illustrations. In order to skirt around the issue the publishing company published the illustrations and the song-book separately. The new edition of W.H. Davies’ poems is to coincide with ten wood engravings by Gertrude Hermes published in 1934. Although we do not have the set of ten engravings intended for the song book we do house works by Gertrude Hermes here at special collections. A sample of Hermes’ work can be seen in Animula by T.S. Eliot.

 

One of the poems from The Lovers’ Song Book titled Beauty and Song compares the beloved to beautiful birds. Although the birds are beautiful they do not have lovely voices. His beloved has both physical beauty and the beauty of song.

The Peacock, that fine feathered bird,

Has but a screeching voice;

The Robin, with a lovely breast,

Sings once, and quarrels twice.

I married you for youth and beauty,

The first to please my mind;

And found Love’s strength was in her voice,

To keep it sweet and kind.                           (Beauty and Song, Davies).

So if you are looking for something to warm your heart come visit us at Special Collections. We are located on the 5th floor of McFarlin library and are open 8-5 Monday-Friday.

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Release of Woody Guthrie’s Only Novel, House of Earth

Posted on 2013 February 5 by Carlos Acosta

The literary world is celebrating the recent publication of acclaimed singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie’s posthumous novel, House of Earth, Guthrie’s sole foray into prose. The novel, published from a manuscript housed in McFarlin Library’s Special Collections, was edited and published by historian and author Douglas Brinkley and actor Johnny Depp. House of Earth is a semi-autobiographical novel, describing the lives of a young couple attempting to survive the Dust Bowl in an adobe house.  Guthrie finished the novel in 1947, and while it was never published, he did try to get it made into a film by Irving Lerner.  It is probable that the University acquired the text from Lerner’s estate sometime between 1976, when the filmmaker died, and 1984 when a copy of the manuscript was made for Harold Leventhal, Guthrie’s agent and manager.  This copy is likely what formed the basis of the upcoming publication.

Guthrie, better known for his profound impact in the folk music scene and whose artistic influence permeates the works of singers and songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen , John Mellencamp and, of course, his son Arlo Guthrie, wrote House of Earth as a reflection on his experiences in late-1930’s Dust Bowl America. The novel follows two farmers in tune with their land, Tike and Ella May Hamlin, espousing the benefits of adobe houses against the brutal West Texas weather to great resistance from the lumber companies in town, establishing the novel as both a slice-of-life narrative of Dust Bowl United States and a political allegory of Guthrie’s views. Brinkley’s and Depp’s mission to publish Gurthrie’s only novel led them to our very own McFarlin Library’s Special Collections in order to begin the process of editing the work for its eventual publication and distribution.

House of Earth was written during a period in which virulent anti-Communist rhetoric was rampant in the United States. Guthrie’s notions that the ownership of land was established by mere occupation, and that financial institutions were stealing from the poor through their lending practices, resonate loudly throughout the novel. In an NPR interview, Douglas Brinkley claimed that Guthrie “was outraged at what bankers were doing, and when people were struggling and they couldn’t pay rents and were being forced off the land. And so [Guthrie’s major hit] ‘This Land Is Your Land’ and House of Earth are both aimed at people being able to say if you grew up on a property it should be yours, and you should be able to live on it.” Combined with the novel’s explicit sexual content, Guthrie’s socialist/populist ideals rendered the novel virtually unpublishable and unmarketable in the face of McCarthyism’s imminent arrival.

This novel is a powerful tale of America that paints a vivid portrait of a time that forever changed the course of American history. The University of Tulsa and the staff of the Special Collections Department at McFarlin Library are proud of their contribution to the publication of such a profoundly important work of literature. This reiterates our commitment to academia and our mission to be the most effective and efficient research tool we can be for our users which include students, faculty, the local community, and scholars from around the world.

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Winter Poetry

Posted on 2013 February 1 by KristinaRosenthal

Although Oklahoma’s Winter weather is amazingly diverse, having 70 degree weather one day and 30 degrees the next, most of the United States is “enjoying” very cold, snowy, and sometimes dreary winter days. In the cold and dreariness of winter some authors become inspired to write stories, songs, and poetry that depict the winter months. Here at Special Collections we have a wide assortment of poetry. Within our poetic works we house many poems dedicated to the changing seasons. While looking through the catalog, searching for winter, I discovered several select poems that have beautiful illustrations depicting the winter months.

In Winter Robert Burns poetically illustrates how he prefers the winter weather because the weather in winter most accurately portrays his internal emotions.

“The sweeping blast, the sky o’ercast,’

The joyless winter day

Let other fear, to me more dear

Than all the Pride of May:

The tempest’s howl, it soothes me soul,

My grief it seems to join;

The leafless trees my fancy please,

Their fate resembles mine!”                       (Burns, Winter)

Alongside his poem Burns included small colored sketches depicting flora and fauna of Winter. These sketches were drawn by Marlene Staniforth. Staniforth’s sketches were commonly used by New Broom Press, the publishing company that published Burns’ Winter.

In our collection we also have a small assortment of Christmas and Winter greeting cards. These greetings cards are unique because of their hand drawn illustrations and poetic verses. In one of the greeting cards is a poem describing winter birds

“And I remember how I woke,

Before my time to rise,

And heard a Robin and a Thrush

Cheering winter skies”

(W.H. Davies, In Winter).

Alongside the poem is a large sketch of a winter robin. In the second card I chose I found a poem titled Song by W.J. Turner portraying a winter wood standing bare alongside a cold waterfall. Alongside this poem is a color sketch of a young girl chancing upon the waterfall. These cards were published in collaboration with the Poetry Bookshop in London and are part of a larger series of cards which we also house here at special collections.

These poems, cards, and much more can be found at Special Collections on the fifth floor of McFarlin library. If you enjoy poetry or art visit us Monday through Friday during are regular operating hours.

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Reflecting on Race: The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921

Posted on 2013 January 18 by KristinaRosenthal

This coming Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. MLK’s life was devoted to creating equality and breaking the barriers between people of different races, specifically between blacks and whites. The city of Tulsa has a sad history of hate between races. Here at special collections we work to remember Tulsa’s past, no matter how tainted, and have created a collection devoted to photographs and news clippings from the Tulsa Race Riots of 1921. This illuminating collection can be found both online and on site and houses audio recordings of race riot lectures, newspaper clippings from Tulsa newspapers, National Guard reports, building permits for reconstruction in the aftermath, photos, and a scrapbook of images and clippings of the riot. Special Collections also houses books related to the Greenwood district, the riot, and the aftermath. Two books that provide both a narrative history and a visual history of the events in 1921 are Hannibal B. Johnson’s Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District and Don Thompson’s Hush, Somebody’s Callin’ My Name A Photographic Essay of Survival Resilience and Perseverance.

Black Wall Street

“Constrained by law, racism, and social custom, Tulsa’s African-American community survived and thrived for decades as a separate city, serving almost exclusively the needs of its own residents.” (Johnson, 27).

In his book, Johnson, pays homage to the successful community that existed in the Greenwood district of Tulsa prior to the disastrous events that took place in the Spring of 1921. He accounts the stories of business owners, families, church members, and workers who lived in Greenwood and helped to make the district as successful as it was. Although the riot was brutal and a sad part of Tulsa history, Johnson argues that the Tulsa riot was one of many race centered attacks that took place in that era of American history.“The events that transpired in Tulsa in the spring of 1921 are inextricably bound up in the look and feel of the America of that era. For African-Americans, bitter ironies defined the period: opportunity in the face of oppression, race-pride in the face of racism, patriotism in the face of paternalism. The years leading up to 1921 are noteworthy for their unprecedented violence” (Johnson, 29).

Hush, Somebody's Callin' My Name

In Hush, Somebody’s Callin’ My Name Don Thompson collected a series of photographs that illuminate African American culture in the Greenwood District in the aftermath of the Race Riot. Images of community members, businesses, and churches show the affects of hatred and misunderstanding that ruined a very successful community.

Although we do not like to be reminded of the sordid history and dark days of Tulsa’s past, it is important to know the stories of our predecessors so that we can make changes for the future. To learn more about the Tulsa Race Riot and to reflect on the history of race in our city, visit us at Special Collections, located on the fifth floor of McFarlin library.

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Now On Display: “Mask-arade!”

Posted on 2013 January 9 by KristinaRosenthal

Special Collections graduate assistants Kyle Ripley and Kristina Rosenthal have recently researched and displayed a collection of Mexican dancing masks. These masks predate the founding of the Americas and illuminate the culture and traditions of Mexico’s earliest people. So, to start off your semester right, make a trip to Special Collections, located on the fifth floor of McFarlin Library, to see and learn more about these intriguing pieces of art. The exhibit will be on display from now until March 21st during the department’s normal operating hours. Don’t miss it!

Mask Exhibit Poster
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