Category Archives: Authors and literature

No Room at the Inn: Owen Wister Encounters Wyoming, July – August 1885

In July 1885, Owen Wister visited Medicine Bow in Wyoming Territory as part of his tour of the region, only to discover there were no rooms available in town to sleep. Instead of moving on when he arrived on July … Continue reading

Posted in 19th century, Authors and literature, Biography and profiles, Book history, Uncategorized, Western fiction, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pearl Harbor’s Role in Popularizing Surfing

We all have our hobbies, ranging from knitting to metalworking, reading the classics, or computer programming, and many, many more. However, we do not always know the origins of our hobbies. Granted, the majority probably emerged in mundane circumstances, but … Continue reading

Posted in Authors and literature, military history, Pacific Islander history, popular culture, Post World War II, Sports and Recreation, Uncategorized, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Wizard of Oz – The Story Behind the Film

The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, beloved by children and adults alike, holds a special place in cinematographic history. The award-winning movie is based on an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Baum’s … Continue reading

Posted in Authors and literature, Book history, Hollywood history, motion picture history, Toppan Rare Books Library, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Margaret Bryan: A Scientist Ahead of Her Time

April 23rd, World Book Day, is an ideal opportunity to showcase one of the AHC Toppan Rare Books Library’s books. Lectures on Natural Philosophy by Margaret Bryan is but one sample of the many rare books the AHC has to … Continue reading

Posted in 19th century, Authors and literature, Science, Toppan Rare Books Library, Uncategorized, women's history | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Blacklisted! – The Albert Maltz Papers

Brooklyn-born Albert Maltz grew up in affluence. His Russian immigrant Jewish parents had made good in their new American home. Maltz’s education credentials were those of an elite. He studied philosophy at Columbia University, graduating in 1928. He then attended the … Continue reading

Posted in Authors and literature, Biography and profiles, Blacklisting, Cold War, Communism, Hollywood history, Hollywood Ten, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Robert Bloch: From Pulp to Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock’s film Psycho is based on a novel by Robert Bloch. It is the story of Norman Bates, a lonely motel caretaker who is seething with psychotic rage due to his mother’s domination. Robert Bloch was an author of … Continue reading

Posted in Adaptations, Authors and literature, found in the archive, motion picture history, Pop Culture, popular culture, science fiction, Screenwriting, Uncategorized, writers and poets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Poet Drama in the Selden Rodman Papers

Selden Rodman (1909-2002) was a prolific author, biographer, poet, editor as well as an art collector and cultural critic. He published a book nearly every year of his adult life. He was a rebellious young man who, while attending Yale … Continue reading

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The Old-Time Saloon – Just History

Prohibition is little discussed today except in history classes. But if you’re interested in the still relevant political arguments that led to Prohibition in the first place, read the 1931 book The Old-Time Saloon: Not Wet, Not Dry—Just History by George … Continue reading

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The Wyoming Art of Carrie Arnold

Carrie Arnold (1944-1998) was a Denver business woman with an active interest in Western history, which she expressed in drawings. She became a pen and ink illustrator for a number of Western books. She was commissioned by her friend Bill … Continue reading

Posted in Artists, Authors and literature, commercial art, found in the archive, Local history, mining history, Uncategorized, Western history, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

George Teeple Eggleston and the America First Movement

Before the United States entered World War II, there was a popular movement to keep the U.S. out of the fray. The controversial America First Committee (AFC), founded in September 1940, was the foremost U.S. non-intervention pressure group against American … Continue reading

Posted in America First Movement, American history, Artists, Authors and literature, cartoons, commercial art, found in the archive, Isolationism, Journalism, Politics, Uncategorized, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment