History in Flight at the American Heritage Center

Posted on May 21, 2014 by stowam

On May 21st, 1927 Charles Lindbergh landed his plane in Paris and gained instant fame for being the first to fly across the Atlantic solo.  In honor of this day in aviation history the American Heritage Center is excited to highlight some of its aviation collections.

Richard Leferink learned to fly during World War I. When the war ended he eventually settled in Wyoming and started an air cargo business throughout Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, and even Canada.  Leferink’s collection includes scrapbooks and correspondence kept through his aeronautical career.

Aviation scene from Richard Leferink scrapbook, 1923-1944. Richard Leferink Scrapbook, #8979, Box 1, University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Aviation scene from Richard Leferink scrapbook, 1923-1944. Richard Leferink Scrapbook, #8979, Box 1, University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Martin Jensen was an innovator in aviation history by researching and designing new aircraft as well building a place in the business of aviation, including the establishment of his own company.  Jensen was also a seasoned stunt pilot, and participated in the 1927 James D. Dole Derby Trans-Pacific Air Race.  Jensen’s collection includes photographs, scrapbooks, and correspondence about his aeronautic developments.

Jensen’s collection is not the only aviation collection featuring aviation developments and business.  The Manufacturers Aircraft Association encouraged and aided aeronautical development.  The association’s records contain information about different companies, designs and patents, expositions, and competitions.  Trans World Airlines contain records regarding not only the company but aircraft vendors as well, including Boeing and Lockheed.

American Heritage Center aviation collections also go beyond U.S. history.  For example  Wolfgang Klemperer’s papers (an aeronautical engineer who did eventually come to the U.S.) contain visuals of German aviation during World War I.

Aircraft type Lohnergroβflugzeug [10], 1915. Wolfgang Klemperer papers, #10955, Box 2, Folder 6. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Aircraft type Lohnergroβflugzeug [10], 1915. Wolfgang Klemperer papers, #10955, Box 2, Folder 6. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

 For more information regarding the American Heritage Center’s aviation and other transportation records collection guides are available online. In addition, some photos and other material from aeronautical collections have been digitized and are accessible through our digital collections site.

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World War II Films Digitized: Paul J. Halloran

Posted on May 9, 2014 by stowam

The American Heritage Center has digitized and made accessible online 30 films from the Paul J. Halloran papers #4832. Paul J. Halloran was a prominent naval officer and civil engineer during the twentieth century. He oversaw construction of Pacific airbases used for bombing raids on Japan in WWII. The collection includes naval records, photographs, and 16 mm films from Halloran’s time in the navy, with the majority stemming from his work on the Norfolk naval base and his time in the Pacific Theater.

Tinian (Northern Mariana Islands), Paul J. Halloran papers, #4832, Box 20, University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center

Film still of Tinian (Northern Mariana Islands), Paul J. Halloran papers, #4832, Box 20, University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center

Links to digitized items and additional information about the Paul J. Halloran papers can be found in the online collection inventory or directly through the digital collections website at: https://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu/luna/servlet/uwydbuwy~127~127

Please direct any questions to Jamie Greene at jgreene@uwyo.edu or 307-766-6508.

Posted in Archival Film, Digital collections, military history, newly digitized collections, World War II | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jacques Kapralik and the Art of Film Promotion

Posted on April 25, 2014 by stowam

The American Heritage Center is fortunate to hold the papers and artwork of Jacques Kapralik. Kapralik was a commercial artist and caricaturist whose art was used in the promotion of motion pictures throughout Hollywood’s Golden Era of the 1930s-1950s. Born in Romania in 1906, Kapralik first worked for various European newspapers, drawing cartoons and caricatures of famous Europeans and important events. In 1936, Kapralik immigrated to the United States. He first provided celebrity caricatures for various newspaper columns focusing on Hollywood gossip and events.

Jacques Kapralik, undated. Jacques Kapralik papers, #4064, Box 15. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Jacques Kapralik, undated. Jacques Kapralik papers, #4064, Box 15. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Kapralik was fortunate to work during a time considered the Golden Age of Hollywood and a zenith for celebrity caricatures. Movie studios were putting increased focus and publicity on their stars, attempting to make them household names. Kapralik’s output of celebrity caricatures increased as he left the newspaper world and began working for movie studios such as RKO, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Universal, and MGM, creating likenesses of Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, and Lucille Ball, among many others. He developed a distinctive and highly recognizable style for his studio publicity work, much of which was shown primarily in press kits and trade magazines such MGM’s Lion’s Roar Magazine, as well as the weekly Pictorial Review newspaper insert. While heralded as a master of Hollywood caricature by industry insiders of the time, due to the nature of his work, today he remains relatively unknown to the general public.

Man of the West with Cary Cooper and Julie London, 1958. Jacques Kapralik papers, #4064, Box 38. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Man of the West with Cary Cooper and Julie London, 1958. Jacques Kapralik papers, #4064, Box 38. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

The caricature style Kapralik became most well-known for involved the creation of miniature models from paper and balsa wood. The models were then photographed and used as promotional posters for motion pictures, predominantly MGM films. These 3-D caricature scenes were incredibly elaborate and detailed, taking up to six weeks complete.

Notorious with Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains, 1946. Jacques Kapralik papers, #4064, Box 70. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Notorious with Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains, 1946. Jacques Kapralik papers, #4064, Box 70. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Kapralik also created title sequences for films in the 1930s-1950s, an early innovator at a time when title sequences were just starting to evolve from simple text. His title sequence work included 20th Century Fox’s The Three Musketeers (1939) with the Ritz Brothers and MGM’S Presenting Lily Mars (1943) with Judy Garland. Aside from movie publicity, Kapralik also did advertising work for companies such as Nutrilite, S&W, and Squirt.

The Jacques Kapralik collection at the American Heritage Center contains framed originals of Kapralik’s miniature models, original caricature drawings done as publicity for many films, and caricatures used in advertising such products as milk and canned vegetables. The collection also contains many sketches and drafts of his finished works. Numerous copies of the newspaper insert Pictorial Review are also present, the covers of which all feature caricatures drawn by Kapralik. Some of his artwork created prior to moving to the United States is also contained in the collection, mostly featuring famous Germans or other Europeans. Some personal and professional files are also present, including correspondence and newspaper clippings. The collection also contains photographs of Jacques Kapralik, including photographs of him and his wife creating his models. Scanned images of many of Kapralik’s 3D caricature scenes are available on the AHC’s digital collections site.

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Preserving a Legacy: Murie Family Films Digitized

Posted on April 4, 2014 by stowam

University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center (AHC) has digitized and made accessible online 461 films documenting Wyoming, including a film of the Heart Mountain Japanese Relocation Center, Alaska, Chesapeake Bay, Ireland, Brittany, Portugal, and South Africa from the Murie Family papers. These films were digitized as part of a Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund Grant project to digitize film in our collections that cover different aspects of Wyoming history and culture.

Still image of Grand Tetons from Hendrick Point in the Snake River Valley. Murie Family Papers, #11375, Box 37. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Still image of Grand Tetons from Hendrick Point in the Snake River Valley. Murie Family Papers, #11375, Box 37. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

The Murie Family Papers consist predominately of the professional papers of three famous conservationists, Olaus Murie, Margaret Murie, and Adolph Murie. The collection contains reports, correspondence, memoranda, field notes and journals, publications, and an extensive collection of films. The materials relate to public land management wildlife conservation in Alaska, western Wyoming, and the desert Southwest.

Olaus Murie worked for such prestigious institutions as the Carnegie Institution and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He was President of the Wilderness Society from 1950-1957 and was active in a variety of conservation societies and biologists’ professional organizations. He received numerous awards for his environmental efforts and wrote several books, including The Elk of North America and a Field Guide to Animal Tracks.

Still image of Murie, Olaus Johan, 1889-1963. Field guide to animal tracks. Murie Family Papers, #11375, Box 33. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Still image of Murie, Olaus Johan, 1889-1963. Field guide to animal tracks. Murie Family Papers, #11375, Box 33. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Margaret E. Thomas met Olaus in Alaska while he was working on a study of caribou. She married Olaus in 1924 and became an outspoken advocate for the environment in her own right. Soon after their marriage, the two moved to Moose, Wyoming, where they spent the rest of their lives. She helped to found the Teton Science School in Jackson, Wyoming, and was instrumental in the designation and protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. She and her husband were also active participants in the designation of Grand Teton National Park in 1929. Along with Olaus, Margaret was credited with preparing the way for the passage of the Wilderness Act, and she was frequently called to give testimony on environmental issues before Congress. She was referred to by many as the “mother of the modern conservation movement.”

Adolph Murie, the brother of Olaus, was an award-winning author. He wrote The Wolves of Mount McKinley and the Ecology of the Coyote in Yellowstone. He was an employee of the National Park Service for most of his adult life, which enabled him to study wildlife in a variety of pristine settings. The U.S. Department of the Interior recognized him with its Distinguished Service Award. Adolph married Margaret’s sister, Louise, and the two subsequently moved to Moose as well.

Links to digitized items and additional information about the Murie Family papers can be found in the online finding aid. For a visual overview of the family’s conservation legacy and their impact on America’s wilderness protection, explore our Virmuze exhibit “The Murie Family: Protectors of America’s Wildlands.”

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Louis C. Brandt: Producer and Director

Posted on March 21, 2014 by stowam

The American Heritage Center has recently processed the papers of Louis C. Brandt (collection number 6800). Mr. Brandt was an assistant director and producer for television and films from the 1930s to the 1970s.

During his career, Mr. Brandt worked with Phillip Yordan and Samuel Bronston, two famous American movie producers. Bronston’s production company, Samuel Bronston Productions, was a pioneer in the practice of filming epic-scale movies overseas due to the less-expensive production costs.

One example of this practice is the movie King of Kings (1961), on which Brandt was an Executive Production Supervisor. Brandt’s papers contain production materials related to King of Kings and several other films shot overseas during the 1960s, including El Cid (1961) and Battle of the Bulge (1965). The production notes consist of production meeting minutes, budgets, shooting schedules and other materials that give a thorough perspective on the challenges of filming overseas. Reviews of studio facilities in a variety of countries are included in the collection as well.

memo from production of King of Kings, 1960, Louis C. Brandt papers, #6800, Box 2, Folder 13. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Memo from production of King of Kings, 1960, Louis C. Brandt papers, #6800, Box 2, Folder 13. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

In addition to chronicling Brandt’s work filming overseas, the Brandt papers are notable for the inclusion of production materials related to the 1950s television series Superman. Correspondence related to Brandt’s personal life and professional career are included as well, as are production ideas, screenplays and equipment catalogs, among other things.

Labor distribution log for Superman, 1952. Louis C. Brandt papers, #6800, Box 3, Folder 6. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Labor distribution log for Superman, 1952. Louis C. Brandt papers, #6800, Box 3, Folder 6. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

An inventory for the Louis C. Brandt papers can be found at the following link. Processing of the Brandt papers was made possible by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, a unit of the U.S. National Archives.

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Celebrating Wyoming Women

Posted on March 3, 2014 by ahcadmin

As a celebration of women’s accomplishments and progress towards equal footing with men, here are a few Wyoming women with notable firsts.

Of course, no mention of women’s history in Wyoming could be complete without paying homage to Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman elected governor of Wyoming–but also in the nation.  Shortly before election day in 1924, Democratic candidate William Ross died. His wife, Nellie Tayloe Ross, was elected in his place. While she ran for re-election in 1926 and was unsuccessful, her gubernatorial term took place so recently after women were granted the right to vote that it remains an important milestone on both state and national levels.  To learn a bit more about Governor Ross, be sure to check out “In Pursuit of Equality,” an online AHC exhibit.

University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Nellie Tayloe Ross Papers, Accession Number 00948, Box 18, Folder 2

Nellie Tayloe Ross, right, with female ranger and Horace Albright in Yellowstone National Park, 1925.  Nellie Tayloe Ross Papers, #948, Box 18, Folder 2. UW American Heritage Center.

Grace Raymond Hebard is another pioneering woman from Wyoming.  Hebard was appointed as University Librarian at the University of Wyoming in 1908 and held the title until 1919. As a librarian, professor, and historian she worked tirelessly to promote and preserve the history of Wyoming and the West.  Her efforts, by the way, largely led to the founding of what would later become the American Heritage Center.  Many of the historical markers that identify key places and momentous events throughout the state of Wyoming have been placed due to the work of Grace R. Hebard.  In addition to her historical pursuits, Hebard was also extremely active in the cause of women’s suffrage.

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Grace Raymond Hebard shooting a rifle out of the back of a covered wagon, UW American Heritage Center Photofile: “Hebard, Grace Raymond.”

Photograph of Grace Raymond Hebard shooting a rifle out of the back of a covered wagon, University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Photofile: Hebard, Grace Raymond

Grace Raymond Hebard standing in front of Old Main, UW American Heritage Center Photofile: “Hebard, Grace Raymond.”

Harriett Elizabeth Byrd is another Wyoming woman whose accomplishments must be recognized.  She was the first African American woman to serve in the Wyoming State Legislature, as well as the first African American to be elected (1980) to the Legislature since Wyoming gained statehood.  Prior to politics, Byrd was an elementary school teacher in Cheyenne.  She served two terms in the Wyoming House of Representatives, running for a seat in the State Senate in 1988.  She won, becoming the first African American to serve. Of Byrd’s key accomplishments, one of the most memorable is her sponsorship of a bill that created Martin Luther King, Jr./Wyoming Equality Day.

Harriett Elizabeth Byrd Papers, Accession Number 10443, Box 9, Folder 2.

Byrd’s legislative portrait, Harriett Elizabeth Byrd Papers, #10443, Box 9, Folder 2. UW American Heritage Center.

Harriett E. Byrd Collection, Accession Number 10443, University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center

Harriett Byrd in the classroom, 1967.  Harriett E. Byrd Collection, #10443, Negative # 29475. UW American Heritage Center.

Of course, there are many women in Wyoming deserving of recognition; these several examples only scrape the surface of the many stories out there of women’s success. We invite you to share your experiences of women’s history and success in the “Comments” section, if you feel so inclined!

Posted in Women -- suffrage, Women in Politics, women's history, Women's suffrage, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Teapot Dome featured on BBC’s Downton Abbey

Posted on February 17, 2014 by stowam

History on the BBC’s Downton Abbey crosses the Atlantic and comes to Wyoming. On season 4 episode 7 of the popular miniseries, the Dowager Countess explains why Lord Grantham travels to the United States; it turns out he is helping Cora’s brother who is facing an investigation for his part in the Teapot Dome scandal!

Teapot station. Petroleum-Wyoming-Teapot Dome (Wyoming) Photograph file.

Teapot station. Petroleum-Wyoming-Teapot Dome (Wyoming) Photograph file.

What was the Teapot Dome scandal? The Dowager Countess explained it very simply, bribery and corruption; however, here are a few more details. From 1922-23 U.S. Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall was bribed into leasing United States strategic oil reserves in Wyoming and California at reduced prices to private oil companies without competitive bidding; leading to Senate investigations, criminal convictions, and is considered one of the greatest political scandals in American history. In response to Isobel Crawley’s question, when she asked if it really is called the Teapot Dome scandal; the Teapot Dome Oil Field was located in Natrona County, Wyoming and named after a nearby rock formation.

Teapot Dome oil field. Petroleum-Wyoming-Teapot Dome (Wyoming) Photograph File.

Teapot Dome oil field. Petroleum-Wyoming-Teapot Dome (Wyoming) Photograph File.

Downton Abbey’s fictional accounts of past events make history exciting and intriguing, but the details of the real events can be just as interesting, if not more scandalous than you originally thought! Would you like to know more about the Teapot Dome scandal? In its commitment to preserve history of Wyoming and the west the American Heritage Center has collections documenting the scandal.  Some of the collections regarding Teapot Dome include documents from legislatures (John B. Kendrick and Frank W. Mondell), the presiding judge at the Teapot Dome Lawsuit (T. Blake Kennedy), and accounts by an employee of one of the oil magnates (Ralph O. Dietler).

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Black History Highlight: Stepp Family Ranch

Posted on February 7, 2014 by stowam

The AHC would like to celebrate African-American experiences in the west by sharing this photograph of the Stepp family; taken on Alonzo T. Stepp’s ranch in the 1920s. Originally from Berea, Kentucky, Alonzo Stepp came to Wyoming to try cowboy life in the open space of Wyoming. First starting as a sheepherder he eventually owned his own land in Lincoln County near LaBarge, Wyoming; which stayed in the family until the 1960s, when the land was claimed by eminent domain for irrigation projects. Information about the Stepp family can be found in the John Ravage papers.

Alonzo Stepp Family in front of their homestead cabin near LaBarge, Wyoming, ca. 1920. Ranch-Stepp photograph file, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Alonzo Stepp Family in front of their homestead cabin near LaBarge, Wyoming, ca. 1920. Ranch-Stepp photograph file, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

The history of the Stepp family is not the only African-American story available at the AHC. Other resources regarding African-American history in the west include collections such as (and not limited to) Harriet Elizabeth Byrd, the Black 14, Joseph C. O’Mahoney, and Grace Raymond Hebard. There are also subject and photograph files available.

Posted in African American history, Family history, Ranch history, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Teaching and Learning Geology at UW: Professor Samuel H. Knight

Posted on February 7, 2014 by ahcadmin

University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center (AHC) has digitized and made accessible online over 3,200 photographs, documents, and 6 films documenting the University of Wyoming science camps and a geology lecture (Chalk Talk) that S.H. Knight gave in the 1960s from the Samuel H. Knight papers. These films were digitized as part of a Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund Grant project to digitize film in our collections that cover different aspects of Wyoming history and culture.

Geology class, Professor A.C. Boyle at right, June 1912. Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 86. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Geology class, Professor A.C. Boyle at right, June 1912. Samuel H. Knight Collection, #400044, Box 86. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Samuel Howell Knight was born in 1892, and soon came to Laramie with his family in 1893. S.H. Knight’s father, Wilbur C. Knight, had accepted a position as the University of Wyoming’s first geology professor. S.H. Knight attended the University of Wyoming as a prep student and an undergraduate from 1907 to 1913. He attended Columbia University in New York from 1914 to 1916 for his graduate studies. He then joined the University of Wyoming faculty in 1916 as assistant professor of geology and curator of the Geological Museum. He became a full professor and the department head in 1917. Also in 1917, S. H. Knight served in World War I in the capacity of First Lieutenant in military intelligence. In 1925, S.H. Knight established the University of Wyoming Science Camp in the Medicine Bow Mountains, about 35 miles from Laramie. The camp ran from 1925 to 1976. As a researcher, his interests ranged from the rounding of sand grains by wind transportation to the physical evolution of the mountains and depositional basins of southeastern Wyoming. Collection includes materials pertaining to several aspects of S.H. Knight’s life, including geology research, teaching, and University of Wyoming activities.

A geology course lecture, while en route to research site, ca. 1940. Samuel H. Knight Collection, #400044, Box 97. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

A geology course lecture, while en route to research site, ca. 1940. Samuel H. Knight Collection, #400044, Box 97. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

Collection includes materials pertaining to several aspects of S.H. Knight’s life, including geology research, teaching, and University of Wyoming activities. Links to digitized items and additional information about the Samuel H. Knight papers can be found in the online finding aid. To see examples of the fossils that were central to Knight’s geological research and teaching, explore our Virmuze exhibit “S.H. Knight’s Fossils of Wyoming.”

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Television Magic: Exploring the Work of Robert Wynn

Posted on January 30, 2014 by ahcadmin

Robert (a.k.a. Bob) Wynn produced and directed more than 60 television shows and specials from the 1960s to the 1990s. Born in 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri, Wynn began his career as a radio broadcaster in the 1950s. He was a sports announcer in Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio. From 1956-1959 he worked for McCann-Erickson Advertising as a producer and director. In 1961, after settling in Los Angeles and working for NBC, he was offered his first major television job producing a Bing Crosby special. Over the next twenty years, Wynn produced and directed variety theme shows, popular and award-winning television series, made for TV movies, and various television specials. Wynn co-founded Alwynn Productions with fellow producer and director Alan Handley in 1962. At Alwynn Productions, Wynn and Handley co-directed and co-produced numerous television shows including, “Alice Through the Looking Glass” (1966) and “Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children” (1969).

In addition, Wynn worked on a number of productions without Handley. Wynn produced a number of variety shows including Danny Thomas Specials (1962-1970), Tennessee Ernie Ford Specials (1969-1981), “The Monty Hall Show” (1970s), and “Opryland, U.S.A.” (1970s). He was also the producer and director for the variety series, “The NBC Follies” (1973). From 1979-1984 he produced “Real People,” a show depicting the lives of real Americans in humorous, heart-warming, and bizarre situations. This series was nominated for five Emmys, and won an Emmy in 1984. Wynn also produced and directed Bob Hope specials (1968-1979), a series of mystery movies on ABC (1974-1975), shows celebrating America, and the Rock Music Awards (1975-1977). From 1975-1995, Wynn produced and directed the Sammy Davis Memorial Telethons.

Bob Hope

Bob Wynn (front and center) leads Bob Hope (aboard the uncovered palanquin) up China Hill in Beijing in June of 1979 during the taping of a Bob Hope special. Robert Wynn papers, #3211, Box 525. UW American Heritage Center.

The American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming holds Wynn’s personal papers.  This collection contains materials from Bob Wynn’s work as a producer and director. There is material from almost all of Wynn’s productions but the show titles with the most material are: “ABC’s Wide World of Mystery Series;” “The Bob Hope Show” and Specials; “The Danny Thomas Show;” Debbie Reynolds shows, “The Monty Hall Show” and Specials; “The NBC Follies;” Opryland specials; “Real People;” “The Rock Music Awards;” Sea World Footage, “The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show;” “The 36 Most Beautiful Girls in Texas,” and Variety Club Telethons.

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