This collection contains both original and facsimile reprints of dime novels from 1877-1956, along with several undated items. A dime novel is an inexpensive, melodramatic or sensational novel, published during the period of 1850-1920. The dime novels focus on the United States, with an emphasis on the American Southwest, science-fiction, global exploration, and detective stories. These stories were distributed through a “dime novel club,” in which a subscriber could obtain a new novel each month. Subjects and themes include: the American Civil War, the American Revolutionary War, baseball, detective stories, science-fiction, war stories, and people in the American Southwest such as Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickok.
Dime Novel Club Collection, 1877-1986 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
Edinburgh-Dalkeith Document Collection
This collection contains documents from the Edinburgh, Scotland area from 1824-1872. Most of the records are legal documents relating to the sale of property or rental agreements. All are hand-written with the exception of one printed school program from Dalkeith Grammar School. None of the documents seem to have come from the same family, but there is geographical overlap.
Edinburgh-Dalkeith Document Collection, 1824-1872, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
This collection contains engravings from 1720-1895, along with several undated prints. The United Kingdom is the geographical focus of the images, although India, Italy, and France are also represented. Most of the images depict buildings during the Georgian and Victorian eras, though portraits and landscapes are common. There are several engravings of abbeys, large estates and castles, taverns, government buildings, and street scenes. It appears that many of the engravings were taken from the pages of books and newspapers.
Engravings Collection, 1720-1895 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
(2 collections with items from 1810-2003): Donated by Dartmouth College, Baker/Berry Library, 2004. Collection consists of theater programs which were distributed to audience members at individual play performances. The programs contain title of play performed, names of people in the cast including roles played, diagrams of the theater, information on scenes and settings, as well as publicity biographies, short articles, and advertisements.
Theater Programs Collection, 1810-2003 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.
Theater Programs Collection, 1895-1996 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
Selig Heller, poet, literary critic, and bookbinder, was born in 1894 near Vladivostok, Russia. At 12, he immigrated to the United States where he studied literature at Ohio State University with Ludwig Lewisohn. Heller published his book Shabbos in 1952. His poetry and criticism appeared in Feder, Yiddisher Arbeter Welt, Freie Arbeter Shtime, Kurier and Gezelten. He married Sarah Steger Heller. The collection contains portraits and photographs of Yiddish writers and artists and other well-known persons.
Selig and Sarah Heller Collection, 1926-1971 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.
Kay Boyle was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1902, and grew up in Cincinnati and Europe. She attended Columbia University and lived in Europe in the 1920's and 1930's as part of the "lost generation" of American ex-patriate writers. She was a noted author of more than four dozen books including novels, poetry, short stories and essays. Her short stories and novels usually deal with contemporary issues, often concerning characters caught up in powerful political or social forces, such as the rise of Nazism in Europe. She died in 1992 at the age of 90. The papers from Kay Boyle's collection consist of personal and business correspondence, speeches, short stories, poetry, fund raising letters, pamphlets, essays, interviews, magazine and newspaper articles, catalog pages, and photographs, among other items.
Kay Boyle Papers, 1910-1992 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
Note: More complete information about these collections can be found on TARO (Texas Archival Resources Online).
Bruce Cammack
Associate Librarian, Rare Books
Email: Bruce.Cammack@ttu.edu
Phone: (806) 834-7974
Dr. Diane Warner
Department Head, Rare Books
Email: diane.warner@ttu.edu
Phone: (806) 834-0466