Harry Ransom Museum Austin, Texas

Mailing Address

Post Office Drawer 7219
Austin, TX 78713

Street Address

University of Texas at Austin (located at 21st Street and Guadalupe)
Austin, TX 78713

Phone: 512-471-8944
Fax: 512-471-9646
Email:
Web: www.hrc.utexas.edu/

Related Links

www.austinmuseums.org/harry.html

Admissions

Open to public

History

The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center is one of the world's foremost institutions for literary and cultural research. Located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, the Ransom Center houses approximately thirty million manuscripts, one million books, five million photographs, and 100,000 pieces of art, in addition to major holdings in theater arts and film. The Ransom Center is an approachable, user-friendly institution that provides a variety of services to users.

The University committed itself to acquiring and preserving special collections for research in 1918, when it purchased the John Henry Wrenn Library, a distinguished collection made up of nearly six thousand first and rare editions of English and American authors. But it was in 1957, through the vision of Dr. Harry Huntt Ransom, that the Ransom Center was established as it exists today.

Ransom installed a collection development unit and launched a new era of intense purchasing and acquisition, focusing on English, American, and French literature. Much of what Ransom acquired were rare books, first editions, and manuscripts of important works. Often entire libraries, collections, and archives were purchased at once, enabling Ransom to assemble a major research library in a very short period of time.

Ransom wanted to create an institution where scholars could study not only the works of an author, but also his/her creative process. This desire compelled Ransom to collect writers entire libraries and manuscripts collections, including personal correspondence, drafts of their major literary works, and such personal effects as Gertrude Stein s eye glasses and Edgar Allan Poe s writing desk.

Some of the Ransom Center's most important collections began as complements to the literary collections: portraits and photographs of and by literary greats, drawings by prominent book illustrators, cartoons and caricatures by famous writers, sketches of theatre sets and costumes, works of art created by celebrated writers and poets.

Artifacts Collections

The vast holding of the Ransom Center include collections of manuscripts, rare books, photography, theatre arts, and visual art.

Manuscript Collection: The Ransom Center's nine million manuscripts include unpublished materials, annotated typescripts, revised manuscripts, and corrected proofs, as well as personal memorabilia and correspondence. The manuscript collection is strongest in 20th-century literature, but begins in the 15th century. The principle strengths of the collections are in British, American, and French literature. Several collections are world renowned: Carlton Lake French Literary Collection, German collection, history of science, American literature, and British literature. A sampling of authors represented are Samuel Beckett, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, Robert Browning, Lord Byron, Graham Green, Lillian Hellman, James Joyce, D. H. Lawrence, Arthur Miller, Anne Sexton, George Bernard Shaw, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Dylan Thomas, and Tennessee Williams.

Rare Book Collection: The Ransom Center's one million rare books include examples of first and subsequent editions, translations, abridgements, fine printing, noteworthy bookbindings, and books on vellum, as well as historically important or unusual books by famous writers, novelists, poets, and dramatists. Highlights of the collection include a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the Medici Collection of Italian history (1502-1800), Ptolemaic papyri (3rd to 1st century B.C.), three Shakespeare first folios, and the Pforzhgeim Library of English Literature (1475- 1700). Also included are the personal libraries of famous individuals such as James Joyce, Evelyn Waugh, and e. e. cummings. A variety of archival collections from publishing companies, literary agents, book dealers, writers' organizations, small presses, and magazines provide a broad context for literary study. Further documentation comes from important literary presses: Aldine Press (1495-1588), Elsevier Press, F

Library

The Ransom Center has a non-circulating library and reading room, as well as viewing rooms for the Ransom Center's photography, film, theatre arts, and television collections. The art collection can be viewed by appointment only. Library and reading room hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Photography and film study rooms are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and are closed Saturdays and Sundays.

Since the Ransom Center does not circulate books, it provides a reading room for scholarly research that is open to the public. A photo i.d. card is necessary for admittance into the reading room. Ransom Center staff provides an orientation on using the available research aids and on properly handling objects. All research is staff-assisted. A letter in advance, stating a narrowly defined area of research, is greatly appreciated. Notes may only be taken in pencil on yellow paper. Backpacks, bags, and purses will be checked before entering the reading room.

To research the collections of the Ransom Center, contact the Director, Curator, or Research Librarian by letter. They will send the appropriate forms and schedule an appointment. The Ransom Center makes reproductions of its photography collection available for educational purposes or for publication. A duplication fee will be charged. The burden of copyright restrictions is placed on the borrower.

Appointment required: False

Services

Publications

A Guide to the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, published by UT Austin, 1990, is available for sale from the Ransom Center for a nominal fee. The book provides a solid overview of the Ransom Center's collections. For a current list of books in print relating to the Ransom Center's collections, contact the administrative offices

Facilities

Wheelchair-accessible.

The Ransom Center shares its main building with the Huntington Art Gallery which occupies the first two floors. The Ransom Center administration is housed on the third floor. The fourth floor is the location of conservation laboratories, as well as an exhibition space. The reading room and another small gallery occupy the fifth floor. The photography and film collection and viewing rooms are on the sixth floor. The seventh floor houses the theatre arts and film collections, along with another gallery. The art collection is housed on the fourth floor of the nearby Flawn Academic Center.

Programs

Lecture series,Symposia,Adult Education,Children's programs.

Generally, the Ransom Center's programming is aimed at the students and faculty of the University of Texas. They hold regular public lecture series in conjunction with their exhibitions.

Staff

Thomas Staley, Director
Phone: 512-471-9111

Sue Murphy, Associate Director,Ransom Center art collection
Phone: 512-471-8944

Mary Beth Bigger, Associate Director,Technical services
Phone: 512-471-8944

Sally Leach, Associate Director
Phone: 512-471-8944

Roy Flukinger, Curator of Photography.Ransom Center photo collection; History of Photography
Phone: 512-471-9124

Peter Mears, Assistant Curator of Art
Phone: 512-471-4663

David Coleman, Assistant Curator of Photography
Phone: 512-471-9124

Rich Oram, Head Librarian
Phone: 512-471-9119

Cathy Henderson, Research Librarian
Phone: 512-471-9119

Kris Keisling, Head of Dept. of Manuscripts & Archives
Phone: 512-471-8944

Curator of French Collection
Phone: 512-471-9115

Assist. Curator of French Collection
Phone: 512-471-9115

Curator of Theatre Arts & Hoblitzelle Theater Arts Library
Phone: 512-471-9124

Curator of Italian Collections
Phone: 512-471-8659

Chief Conservation Officer
Phone: 512-471-9117

Public Information Officer
Phone: 512-471-8944

Registrar


Museum Type

Art
Library
University

Governance

Type: 501 (c) (3); administered through the University of Texas System



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