Browse Exhibits (2 total)
Bill Wittliff—Texas Man of Letters, Selections from the Virgil Musick Collection
Bill Wittliff spent two decades as the creative force behind The Encino Press (1963-1983), which garnered more than 100 awards for its publications. Alongside his wife Sally, Wittliff established a company that became synonymous with Southwestern literature, exceptional book design, and fine press printing and publishing. In these early days of regional publishing Wittliff found authors and artists, and they found him.
Texas native Virgil Musick also noticed something special in The Encino Press. A former Army radar operator at the North Pole in the early 1950s and later the founder of a transportation consulting company, Musick pursued an interest in Bill Wittliff’s work, including his time at Southern Methodist University Press and The Encino Press. His collection includes first editions and signed works, many with personal notes from Wittliff to Musick. In addition to books, Musick also assembled broadsides, ephemera, prints, and correspondence. In 2016 Virgil Musick donated his collection to DeGolyer Library at Southern Methodist University.
The State Fair of Texas
In 2016, The State Fair of Texas celebrated its 130th anniversary, and the DeGolyer Library joined in the celebration with an exhibition of State Fair photographs by Dallasite Lynn Lennon. In 1984 Lennon began documenting the State Fair of Texas, a photographic project that continued for 10 years. Her slice-of-life photographs captured on film people from all walks of life, livestock, the changing weather, the Midway, traditional and novelty foods, and performers and entertainment of all kinds. In addition to Lennon’s images, several cases of related ephemera include State Fair tokens, badges, pamphlets, brochures, postcards, handkerchiefs and more dating from the 19th into the 20th century from various DeGolyer collections.