Call Number:

PH-00269

Collection Name:

W. D. (Wilfred Dudley) Smithers Papers and Photography Collection

Creator:

No. of Items:

9004 items

Span Dates:

1910-1968

Description:

W. D. (Wilfred Dudley) Smithers (American, 1895-1981) was a photojournalist and writer in the Big Bend area of Texas during the first third of the twentieth century. The Smithers Papers and Photographic Collection is comprised of images of landscapes of the Big Bend, pioneer life along the border, Mexican Americans, Mexican Revolution and Francisco "Pancho" Villa, Texas Rangers, horse cavalry, mining in Terlingua and surrounding communities, early aerial photography and early aviation, including the Stinson sisters; all border markers along the 1,900-mile US-Mexican boundary; curanderos. Most photographs are by Smithers; some copies of work by Nick Mersfelder and various others. 9,000 glass, safety, and nitrate negatives with modern prints by Smithers. Part of the 9,000 items are 31 panoramic prints. All photographs are captioned and captions are gathered into a five-volume, typescript, itemized inventory. Some maps and other ephemera are located in the over-size area of the photography stacks. The time period represented is between 1890 and 1930. Associated manuscripts are at held in the general Manuscripts collection at the Ransom Center, and across campus at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

From finding aid: The Smithers collections comprises primarily photographs of the Texas borderlands and peoples, and military camps and forts. Most of the photographs were taken in Texas but there are also images of Mexico, Utah, New Mexico and other western states. Other subject matter that is of note are photographs of early aviators and airplanes, as well as the Nature's Pharmacy Series which details uses for several herbs and plants as used by the native peoples of the region. Other series include those of images of schools and universities in Texas and Mexico, newsworthy events, such as a train wreck and construction of the McDonald Observatory and Telescope, and religious subjects, such as iconography and architecture, Mexican religious festivities, and even the Mormon Church. The dates of the photographs range from 1910 to 1968.

The collection is arranged according to the notes, written by Smithers, that accompanied the photographs. These extensive notations on each photograph are housed in a set of 3-ring binders in the Photography Department's Reference Room. The photographs are boxed and numbered according to Smithers' arrangement which has been preserved in this finding aid. They are grouped by subject matter which are not in chronological order from series to series. Almost the entire collection of prints is 20.2 x 25.5 cm, with the exception of the last box of miscellaneous prints which are not listed in Smithers' inventory and range from snapshots to a print to be used for a lampshade. In addition, some newspaper clippings and other print items have been removed from the photograph collection and housed in the Smithers' Manuscript Collection, also at the HRHRC.

The collection also contains one compact disk containing 30 digital images made from lantern slides at the Museum of the Big Bend (2001:0036:0001), and several novelty lamps and photographic lampshades (966:0004:0001-0013; 2001:0054:0001; 2014:0023:0001-0002).

Modern prints of the negatives, accompanied by typed captions, are available onsite in the Reading and Viewing Room.

Access Restrictions:

Negatives cannot be accessed without curatorial approval and advance notice. To make an appointment, please contact Reading and Viewing Room staff.

Finding Aid URL:

https://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/fasearch/findingAid.cfm?eadid=00286

Location(s):

Home-made enlarger and copy camera (982:0078:0012, 0014) -- CURATORIAL PERMISSION REQUIRED
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Clippings
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Flat File (oversize materials)
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(glass negatives) -- CURATORIAL PERMISSION REQUIRED
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Lampshade Box (2001:0054:0001)
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Lampshade Box (966:0004:0002-966:0004:0003)
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Archive (18 boxes)
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Lampshade Box (966:0004:0013)
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Lampshade Box (966:0004:0005; 966:0004:0007)
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Lampshade Box (966:0004:0008; 966:0004:0009)
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Lampshade Box (panels)
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Compact disc (2001:0036:0001)
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Lampshade Box (966:0004:0013)
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Lampshade Boxes (966:0004:0001; 966:0004:0011)
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Prints
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Lampshade Boxes 5, 8 (966:0004:0005, 0007)
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Lampshade Boxes 9-10 (966:0004:0008-0009)
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Lampshade Box 11 (966:0004:0010)
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Flat File (oversize materials)
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Smithers, W.D., Boxes (nitrate negatives) -- CURATORIAL PERMISSION REQUIRED
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Acetate negatives (Boxes 1-6) -- CURATORIAL PERMISSION REQUIRED
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Special permission required Acetate negatives (Boxes 07-14)
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Curatorial permission required Acetate negatives (Boxes 15-22)
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Curatorial permission required Acetate negatives (Boxes 23-28)
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Item(s):

See Also:

W. D. (Wilfred Dudley) Smithers Collection

Audio / Visual Photography Collection