TEXAS ~----------------------------~
PASSAGES
The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio
Spring 1987 Vol. 2, No.2
Mud and Plaster on the ''Back 40"
The teacher and students of San Vicente School in Brewster County outside their adobe
schoolhouse, c 1929.
Institute visitors during the
corning months will see the begin­nings
of a new project on the "Back
40" as the site is laid out and mate­rials
arrive for the construction of
an authentic adobe dwelling. The
building will complement the struc­tures
already in use (a frontier mili­tary
officer's quarters, a one-room
schoolhouse, and a barn and wind­mill)
and become the center for all­new
programming about the lives of
Tejanos for whom adobe has been
a primary building material.
The Institute's adobe project
began in December, when preserva­tion
architect Eugene George, folk­lorist
Joe Graham and archaeologist
Curtis Tunnell gave background
presentations to staff members. All
Institute departments will be in-volved
in one phase or another of
the project. Construction of the
building, scheduled for completion
in 1987, is only the first part of on­going
projects and physical mainte­nance
procedures which staff mem­bers
are developing.
Construction itself will take
place in two stages. The first will
begin after an archaeological survey
is completed and will involve dig­ging
a trench, preparing a concrete
footing and laying a natural stone
foundation, which will be about 15
inches aboveground. Then, in the
fall, a team of adobe builders will
erect the adobe walls and the roof.
The construction will be the
focus of special educational events
which will allow as many people as
possible to view the actual building
process. These events will include
presentations on the folk traditions
pertaining to adobe, the daily lives
of adobe dwellers, and the mainte­nance
of adobe structures.
Once the building is complete,
educational staff and docents will
lead tours for visitors and school­children
throughout the year. Be­cause
the building will be authentic
adobe, annual maintenance chores,
including plastering the walls and
whitewashing, will also be part of
the interpretive programs.
The Institute adobe project is
made possible through a generous
grant from USAA.
The following article is adapted
from a special publication of the
Texas Historical Commission, Build­ing
with Adobe: A West Texas Lega­cy
(December 1984), and is used
with permission. Copies of the com­plete
publication may be obtained
by writing the Commission, PO.
Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711.
Adobe structures at Ft. Leaton near Presidio
Building with Adobe
Construction
Adobe construction - building
with a sun-dried mixture of earth,
grass, and water - is a prevalent
building method in portions of West
Texas and the Panhandle. Though
the mention of adobe often brings
New Mexico and other southwest­ern
states to mind, the residents of
Texas, too, have used this building
material for centuries. Today we are
only beginning to recognize the his­toric
importance of our adobe struc­tures
and the methods used to con­struct
them.
Adobe construction methods
have a rich history: they have been
handed down by many generations
and across several continents. The
tradition of adobe construction
developed as an indigenous building
method centuries ago in the ancient
Middle East. The Indians of the
American Southwest also were fa­miliar
with this material and used
it to build the pueblos of Taos and
Acoma, New Mexico - magnificent
structures that were viewed with
amazement by the Spanish conquis­tadores
in the 16th century.
The Spaniards, who had a tra­dition
of adobe construction of their
own, influenced its use in the South­west.
After their arrival, the rectan­gular
adobe brick became predomi­nant
and provided a means to create
varied structures, including missions
and forts. The Spanish influence on
Texas adobe is evident in structures
such as Mission San Antonio de
Valero (the Alamo) and Mission
Concepci6n in San Antonio, and in
the ruins of Mission San Lorenzo de
la Santa Cruz in Real County.
With the skills of the Indians
and the Spaniards combined, adobe
construction thrived in the South­west,
and has continued to do so to
this day. It is a simple, economical
process, since all of the materials
required for adobe construction are
2
A West Texas Legacy
A mixture of earth, grass and water,
Adobe bricks require about two weeks in the
sun to dry. When completely dried, they are
stacked neatly in diagonal rows. (Photo
courtesy of the Texas Historical Commission)
adobe can be molded into almost ....,..":=.,.-.,
any shape or design. Here workers
mix the adobe and form bricks
using a wooden frame as the mold.
readily accessible - even in areas
that lack other building materials,
such as rock and wood.
Adobe's Characteristics
Adobe's flexibility as a con­struction
material probably is un­surpassed.
This mixture of mud and
grass or straw can be molded into
any shape or design. Proper propor­tions
of sand and clay in the soil are
important, however, as too much
sand can result in rapid deterioration
and too much clay can result in
cracking. The grass or straw serves
as a binder.
Adobe bricks are usually left to
dry in the sun for about two weeks
before they are ready for use. Be­cause
adobe bricks are not fired in
a kiln, they are unstable. Depending
on their water content, they are
subject to constant shrinking and
swelling: the higher the water con­tent,
the lower the strength.
Adobe is a low-strength mate­rial
and normally does not form
structures that rise higher than two
stories. Adobe walls are often ta­pered
at the top; otherwise, the
adobe may collapse from its own
weight. The maximum height of the
adobe mission churches in the
Southwest was approximately 35
feet. Often buttresses braced exterior
walls for added stability.
Adobe will not bond perma­nently
with wood, metal, or stone
because it exhibits much greater
movement than these materials.
Many of these more stable sub­stances
are used in adobe construc­tion,
however. For example, stone or
cement may be used for the roof,
windows, and doorways. These
materials generally are held in place
by their own weight or the compres­sive
weight of the wall above them.
Texas Passages is published
quarterly by The University of Texas
Institute of Texan Cultures at San
Antonio as an information resource
on subjects related to Texas history
and culture as well as current issues
affecting the state. Comments and
suggestions concerning the publica­tion
should be directed to the Office
of News and Information, The Insti­tute
of Texan Cultures, Po. Box
1226, San Antonio, Texas 78294,
(512) 226-7651 .
Editors: 10 Eckerman, Director of
News and Information
lames c. McNutt, Director
of Research and Collections
Designer: Meredith Rees
One of many adobe ruins in Terlingua, a
mining town abandoned during World
War II. (Photo courtesy of the Texas
Historical Commission)
Adobe's mass and density make
it a good tempering medium. Heat
and cold travel slowly through ado­be,
so that the night's cool air
reaches the interior in the daytime,
and the day's warm air reaches the
interior at night. In desert climates,
this characteristic is particularly
desirable. The thick adobe walls
also insulate well against noise.
Today some adobe-like bricks
are fired. These are similar in size to
unbaked bricks, but they have a
different texture, color, and strength.
Some adobe bricks are stabilized
with cement, asphalt, and/or bitu­minous
materials, but these bricks
also differ from traditional adobe in
their appearance and strength.
The Adobe Structure
Spanish settlers in Texas built
small, one-story residences without
windows that were grouped around
a central plaza, which served as the
center of the economic and social
activity of the village. Indians gen­erally
built pueblos, small multi­story
structures that had no doors
or windows on the ground floor and
were entered through a complex sys­tem
of ladders and roof hatches.
After 1850, windows began to
appear in adobe structures. They
This photograph - taken at Cienega,
a region near Shafter in Presidio
County- illustrates the use of vi gas
a'ld latillas in adobe construction.
were small and barred with wooden
poles and shutters. Openings be­tween
rooms were curtained with
strips of cloth or blankets.
Whether an adobe structure is
small or large, its rooms are general­ly
long and narrow. The length of
each room depends op the length of
its vigas, wooden beams that carry
the weight of the roof. Smaller
wooden poles, latilIas, extend be­tween
the vigas and support layers
of twigs covered with packed adobe
mud. The roofs are flat with low
parapets. Most roofs slope slightly
so that water will run off through
canales, or drains. Sometimes brick
copings are placed on top of para­pets
and chimneys to protect them
from erosion, and porches are added
to shelter doors and windows. After
the railroad reached the Southwest
in the 1880's, hip roofs and wooden
trim began to appear as sawn lum­ber,
shingles, tile, and sheet metal
became available.
Flooring materials vary from
earth to adobe brick, fired brick,
tile, flagstone, or wood. Surface
coatings range from mud plaster to
whitewash, lime plaster, cement
stucco, or paint. Often a coat of
whitewash is applied inside and out
each spring. This mixture of lime,
water, and salt protects the adobe
from wind and rain, and serves as
a deodorant and disinfectant.
Unlike frame and dry wall
structures, adobe buildings can be
easily altered. Walls can be added or
knocked down and doors and win­dows
carved out or filled in without
much trouble. Consequently, it is
difficult to find older structures in
their original states.
The sites for adobe buildings
always have been carefully selected.
In the past, a treeless spot on high
ground was chosen to afford protec­tion
from water erosion and to allow
for early alert to attack. To this day,
adobe structures are usually built
with each wall directly facing a
point of the compass. Windows are
placed on the east wall to maximize
the light from morning suni win­dows
are absent from the west wall
to minimize the effect of the hot
afternoon sun.
More than two-thirds of the
residential structures in the world
today are made of adobe. Its wide­spread
use - especially in the highly
populated areas of India, Africa,
and the Middle East-is explained
largely by the availability of suitable
dirt almost anywhere.
Adobe Folklore
Like many stories, songs,
dances, and other traditions that
have been treasured and preserved
for the use of future generations,
adobe construction methods can be
described as folklore.
Folklore encompasses the
knowledge, customs, and stories
that are transmitted orally - often
through demonstration and appren­ticeship
- from generation to genera­tion.
Folklore embodies a paradox:
it is at once conservative and dy­namic.
Traditions are shared with
the younger generation so that they
will be utilized and preserved. How­ever,
each tradition alters somewhat
with its retelling. The teller and the
audience, who incorporate their
own embellishments or omissions,
have a dynamic effect on their cul­tural
inheritance.
continued on page 10
3
Preserving Our Photographic Heritage
Photographs from the personal
collections and albums of families in
Texas are featured in Phcto Heritage
Days: Texas Families, an exhibit on
display at The Institute April 7-26. The
images accompanying this article are
examples of some of the photos sub­mitted
for the exhibit.
"I have seized the light, I have
arrested its flight!"
With these exuberant words
Louis J.M. Daguerre introduced one
of the most outstanding advances of
the 19th century, the photograph.
The announcement of Da­guerre's
breakthrough in developing
a practical method for creating an
image photographically burst upon
the world in 1839 and changed our
lives forever. Almost from the mo­ment
it was available, the photo­graph
was in demand by everyone
everywhere. News of Daguerre's
process sailed from France to Amer­ica
with remarkable speed, and by
1845 every city in the U.S. had a
daguerreotype studio or, at the very
least, received regular visits from
traveling photographers. The power
of photographs to capture a remem­brance
of people and places and
moments was so compelling that
few aspects of life - not even
death - escaped the camera's lens.
After nearly a century and a
half of history, the novelty of the
photograph has faded, but its im­portance
in the visually oriented
world of today has grown sharper
and clearer with time. Photography
has evolved into an accepted form
of communication, a visual world
language. Photographs are an inte­gral
part of everyday life - as much
a ritual in themselves as the events
they record - and a link between
people which spans both space and
time. As such, they serve as impor­tant
sources of social, cultural and
historical information.
In recent years a growing inter­est
in the value of photographs as
historical documents has spurred an
increase in efforts by various institu-
4
by J 0 Eckerman
tions to preserve and collect them.
Historical societies, religious organi­zations,
businesses, colleges and uni­versities,
and government agencies
are among the institutions which
currently house and maintain pho­tographic
collections. Though the
size and subject matter of these
holdings are widespread and di­verse,
they represent a minute por­tion
of the countless numbers of
images amassed in the 14 decades
since Daguerre introduced the magic
of photography.
The majority of those photo­graphs
which have survived
throughout the years - including
many dating from the 19th cen­tury
- are not collected in the halls
of institutions but within the walls
of private homes. Packed in shoe­boxes,
bureau drawers and cedar
chests, stored away in closets, attics
and basements across the country,
lies an enormous cache of photo­graphs
encompassing everything
from early daguerreotypes to instant
color prints.
Many people think their per­sonal
collections hold little of sig-nificance.
While such photographs
may appear to represent nothing
more than the story of one family
and the way they lived, when com­bined
with other images and writ­ten
sources of data, they can provide
vital information to help create a
more complete picture of the past.
But whether viewed as signifi­cant
historical documents or cher­ished
family heirlooms, photo­graphs
are valuable and important.
They are reflections of those
things - people, places, events,
ideals, beliefs, attitudes, affections­that
people want most to remember,
preserve and pass on to future gen­erations.
Unfortunately, however,
like many other artifacts of life,
photographs do not last forever.
Few people realize that because
of their complex chemical makeup
photographs begin a gradual process
of deterioration almost as soon as
they are developed. And sometimes
efforts to save them and store them
safely away unwittingly contribute
to the problem. While halting or
reversing the process completely is
not possible, there are some things
The Iud and Wosnig famili es and their friends enjoy an outing at Salado Creek in the early
1900's. (Photo courtesy of Adele J. Steiger and Janice Schwab of New Braunfels)
Martha Nitsch Spahn, baby Harry and an
unidentified boy test the waters of a cool
stream, early 1900's. (Photo courtesy of Mr.
and Mrs. Bob Boerner of San Antonio)
which slow it down and help protect
photographs from other sources of
harm as well.
The list of substances and envi­ronmental
conditions that can dam­age
photographs is a long one. Made
of potentially unstable materials
which are very sensitive to the envi­ronment,
photographs can easily be
affected by extremes in temperature
and humidity, extended or intense
exposure to light, and contact with
other chemicals and pollutants.
Heat and humidity are the worst
offenders as they not only accelerate
the process of self-destruction, but
also invite the invasion of other
harmful elements such as mold and
insects. Modem color films are espe­cially
sensitive to high heat and
humidity, which initiate a chemical
reaction in them resulting in fading
and color shifts of the dyes.
Natural and artificial light, air
pollution and fumes from various
materials such as paint, cleaning
solvents, resinous woods and insec­ticides
also have detrimental effects
on photographs. Many everyday
storage containers - paper enve­lopes,
cardboard boxes and certain
kinds of negative holders - contain
chemicals and adhesives which can
damage them as well.
Most of these problems can be
controlled, or at least reduced, with
proper storage techniques. Negativ~s
should be placed in holders made of
triacetate or polyester, rather than
in glassines made with substances
that affect the emulsion, and secured
in acid-free paper binders or folders.
Prints should be protected in archi­val-
quality albums or acid-free en­velopes;
slides should be stored in
metal boxes, carousel trays or other
holders that allow for air circulation
to help prevent moisture build-up
and fungus growth. Many photo
supply outlets carry various storage
items designed to protect photo­graphs
and can help in selecting the
most appropriate type and style.
Once placed in holders, enve­lopes
or albums, photographs can be
stored in acid-free boxes or baked
enamel file cabinets located in an
area with a relatively stable cli­mate
- never in a hot attic or a
damp basement. Prints and nega­tives
should be filed separately,
however, as prints often contain
substances in the paper base which
can contaminate the negatives.
Before storing photographs
away, make sure that they are iden-tified
and are clean and free of dirt
which could cause scratches and
abrasions. Prints can be dated and
identified by writing lightly on the
back with a soft pencil; information
about negatives can be written on
the outside of the envelopes or bind­ers.
Being careful not to touch them
and possibly damage the emulsion,
gently dust prints and negatives
with a soft brush to remove dirt.
Film cleaners are also available
which can be used on the non­emulsion
side of some films.
In addition, older, more fragile
photographs should be singled out
and copies made to preserve the
images they contain. This is espe­cially
important in the case of origi­nal
prints for which the negatives no
longer exist, and of early 19th cen­tury
photographs such as daguer­reotypes,
mirror-like images pro­duced
on a sheet of highly polished,
silver-coated copper; ambrotypes,
negatives produced on glass and
transformed into positives by plac­ing
a dull, black surface behind
them; and tintypes, images exposed
on a thin sheet of black-enameled
iron. These early photographic
forms employ the direct positive
process - in other words, there is no
continued on page 9
The daughters of Anton F. Wulff pose in the garden of their home on King William Street,
c 1892. The house now seroes as the headquarters for the San Antonio Conseroation Society.
(Photo courtesy of Regina Tyrrasch)
5
A Short History of Photography
The Mirror with a Memory
Among the earliest photographs are daguerreo­types,
ambrotypes and tintypes. All are made using the
direct positive process in which there is no separate
negative produced and therefore no way to make sub­sequent
prints. The only way to reproduce these images
is to rephotograph them.
Though a number of people experimented with
light-sensitive materials before Louis Daguerre, his is
considered the first practical process available. Daguerre­otypes,
introduced in 1839, are produced directly on a
~heet of highly polished, silver-coated copper, and the
Image can appear as either a negative or a positive
depending on the angle at which light reflects from it.
The daguerreotype became known as "the mirror with
a memory" because of its shiny surface and the way in
which the image is laterally reversed as in a mirror.
Ambrotypes were introduced a few years later than
daguerreotypes, but the two are sometimes confused
because of the similarity of the decorative covers in
which they were encased. Ambrotypes are negatives
produced on glass and transformed into positive images
by a dull black surface placed behind them. This gives
them an overall grayish color in contrast to the mirror
brightness of daguerreotypes. The images in most
ambrotypes do not appear laterally reversed because
they were produced on clear glass and turned around
so the emulsion side faced the viewer.
A gray, muddy cast is one of the recognizable
characteristics of tintypes. Made by exposing the im­age
on a thin sheet of iron that was lacquered black or
dark brown, tintypes were inexpensive to produce and
quite durable. They became extremely popular in the l!'S" especially during the Civil War. Rarely put in cases,
tmtypes were usually kept in albums or carried loose,
and many are marked by dents, scratches and rust­scars
from a lifetime of loving use.
Here the mirror-like quality of the
daguerreotype is illustrated. Note the
reflection of the lighter on the surface
of the photograph.
Pictured are a daguerreotype (center), ambrotype (right),
and tintype (left). In this instance, the angle of light re­flected
from the daguerreotype allows the image to appear
clear and sharp.
The negative/ positive quality of the ambro­type
can be seen in this example showing
the black backing halfway removed.
Making Pictures with Eggs
The technique of making positive prints from
negatives was developed by William Henry Fox Talbot
at the same time the daguerreotype was introduced, but
the results were considered inferior and the process was
not widely used at first. During the 1850's several inno­vations,
including glass plate negatives and albumen
prints, made the process more practical.
. Made with an emulsion of chemicals mixed in egg
whIte (albumen) coated on paper, albumen prints were
toned with gold chloride, giving them a warm brown
color. Mounted on cardboard, albumen prints were
made in various sizes, each with its own distinctive trade
name. The carte de visite (4 1/2" x 2%") was the first
6
Albumen prints were produced in a number
of standard sizes including the carte de visite
(smaller photos on the right and left) and the
Cabinet Card (center).
.. . After 150 Years We're Back Where We Started
popular standard size. These wallet-sized photos were
often used in lieu of a calling card and were produced
and distributed in abundance. Trade names of other sizes
included the Cabinet Card (4Vz" x 6%"), the Victoria
(3%" x 5"), the Promenade (4" x 7"), the Boudoir (5%"
x 8%") and the Imperial (6%" x 9%").
Albumen prints were also used in early versions
of the stereograph. Sometimes called 3D cards, stereo­graphs
are composed of a pair of prints of the same scene
mounted side by side on a rectangular piece of card­board.
When viewed through a stereoscope the two
prints are transformed into a single three-dimensional
image, an effect similar to looking through binoculars.
First presented in the U.S. about 1850, stereographs were
a popular source of family entertainment.
The stereoscope and stereograph were stan­dard
fixtures in many American parlors
from the 1850's through the 1920's.
A daguerreotype camera, 1839 Color Me Instantly
The introduction of the inexpensive
easy-to-operate camera turned
photography into a popular
pastime for everyone.
"You Push the Button;
We Do the Rest"
Interest in photography became more widespread
through the 1880's, fueled by a number of improvements
in the process. Then in 1887 George Eastman introduced
two innovations that revolutionized the industry and
launched Americans on a whole new wave of fascination
with photographs - the era of the snapshot. Eastman's
continuous roll film and Kodak box camera opened the
world of photography to anyone who could press a
button, putting everybody on both sides of the camera.
By the turn of the century, photography had
emerged as a major hobby in America, and almost
everyone owned at least one camera - usually the ever­popular
Kodak Brownie. Family albums rapidly filled
with snaps of vacations, birthdays, weddings and a host
of other memorable moments.
From the beginning of photography the quest for
color images was strong. Even in many of the first
daguerreotypes color was applied to the images by hand,
using dyes, pigments and metal compounds. Eastman
again entered the picture as an innovator in the field
. when he introduced Kodachrome, first as 16mm motion
picture film in 1935, then as 35mm still film in 1936.
Though a number of improvements and variations
in color film and prints have been made since then, one
of the most intriguing is the development by the Polaroid
Corporation in 1972 of the SX-70 camera and films.
These films have the negative, developer, battery and
print in one neat package, making each instant color
print a unique photograph. After nearly 150 years and
a host of marvelous innovations, the one-of-a-kind,
irreplaceable image is back.
The Polaroid SX-70 represents nearly
150 years of innovation and
technological sophistication
in the field of photography.
7
Gifts, Grants, Donations
Support Institute Programs
As a statewide communications
center, The Institute of Texan Cul­tures
gathers information on Texas
history and culture from every avail­able
source and broadcasts its find­ings
to a variety of audiences. Many
Institute programs, projects, services
and products simply would not be
possible without gifts, grants and
donations, according to John R.
McGiffert, Interim Executive Direc­tor.
"Despite the need, some people
hesitate to give to us because, as part
of The University of Texas System,
we receive State appropriations. But
the truth is, we must raise, on our
own, more than half of our needed
revenue;' he said. General McGiffert
stated that the following major proj­ects
are currently in need of funding:
Indian Texans
The Indian Area of the exhibit
floor is currently under revision.
Once complete, the area will cover
about 3,000 square feet and feature
three 24' x 10' murals depicting an
east Texas Caddoan town, a west
Texas Puebloan community and a
Plains Indian camp. Two of the
murals will be completed with funds
from a new Meadows Foundation
grant. A buffalo-hide tipi is also
needed for the Plains Indian area.
Total needed: $22,600. Funds will
also be required to publish The In­dian
Texans book and a revised
pamphlet, and to produce a travel­ing
exhibit. Total needed: $28,875.
Texas History and Culture
Workshops for Teachers
Funds are needed for annual
summer workshops for 4th and 7th
grade teachers to enhance their
knowledge and teaching skills in the
areas of Texas history and culture.
The 1987 workshops take advantage
of two previous years of experience
developing and refining this pro­gram.
With hands-on use of arti-
8
facts and inquiry teaching methods,
teachers learn about Texas, and how
to make Texas history and cultures
come alive in their classrooms. The
program produces unit plans to be
shared with teachers statewide. Total
needed: $24,600 per year. Funds for
two years are desired.
Spanish Texans
The Texas Committee for the
Humanities has approved a chal­lenge
grant of up to $12,749 to assist
a study of Spanish community for­mation.
A symposium, publishing
of papers and a traveling exhibit
about The Spanish Community in
18th Century San Antonio are in­cluded.
Total needed: $16,998 in pri­vate
matching funds.
The community study is part of
a major research project which will
eventually see revision of the exhibit
floor Spanish area, installation of
the "Spanish Gates" (colonial gates
which are now being restored) and
a scale model of 18th century San
Antonio. The Meadows Foundation
has provided funds to restore the
gates and research their origin. A
scholarly monograph will also be
published. Total needed: $24,500.
Funds will also be needed to
publish a name index to the Bexar
Archives, the provincial records of
Spanish Colonial and Mexican Tex­as.
Composed of a quarter-million
pages of manuscripts and printed
items, these records are on microfilm
at the Barker Texas History Center
in Austin. The very size of the ar­chives,
compounded by a rigid
chronological arrangement of its
files, has limited use by researchers.
The Institute is helping to sponsor
creation of the name index itself,
which is being carried out by San
Antonio historian Adan Benavides.
Amount needed to be determined.
4th Grade Cultural
Influence Book
The Institute proposes to pub­lish
and market a 60-80 page hard­bound
Texas History and Cultures
continued on page 9
Development News
February's $15,000 donation
by the United Services Automo­bile
Association (USAA) placed
them among The Institute's top
five supporters in total contribu­tions.
Plans for the funds include
further enhancement of the "Back
40" program. Previous donations
by USAA have made possible
various Institute projects includ­ing
construction of the fort head­quarters
and the bam, as well as
the adobe building to be com­pleted
in the fall.
The Indian area of the exhib­it
floor will soon have a new
buffalo made possible by the
cooperative efforts of Jean Brown
of Houston, James and Dorothy
Doyle of Fredericksburg, and
Stewart Johnson of San Antonio,
all members of The Institute's
Advisory Board. The new buffalo
will replace the worn, but much
adored, "Elmo;' and plans for the
new arrival include the possibility
of holding a "Name the Buffalo"
contest for schoolchildren.
The Institute recently re­ceived
$2,000 from the UT. Sys­tem
Chancellor's Council in sup­port
of a pilot program for visu­ally
handicapped students. Last
year the Chancellor's Council
contributed $1,500 to the travel­ing
trunk program.
Gifts: continued from page 8
book written for the 4th grade as a
supplement · to existing classroom
materials. The book, which will
help teachers meet curriculum re­quirements,
will contain extensive
art and color reproductions. Ninety­three
percent of teachers, librarians
and social studies coordinators sur­veyed
said they needed or could use
such a book. Total needed: $49,100.
Exhibit Hoor
Introductory Area
A recently revised exhibit sets
the stage for visitors by discussing
what The Institute is, does and
stands for, and the importance of
ethnicity and awareness of the past.
A major feature of the area is a six­foot
globe of the Earth, donated by
Mr. and Mrs. 0. Scott Petty and Mr.
and Mrs. Scott Petty Jr. and family.
The Meadows Foundation has just
funded a three-dimensional map of
Texas. An additional $41,660 is
sought for audiovisual equipment
and a program.
Other Publications and Exhibits
In addition to these major proj­ects,
funds are needed for: What
They Say About Texas, a traveling
exhibit ($7,750); Pioneer traveling
trunks ($12,000); a professional
monograph series ($12,000 per
year); and the Hungarian floor ex­hibit
and monograph ($14 ,500).
Publications needing funds in­clude:
The French Texans book and
pamphlet ($14,000); Norwegian Tex­ans
($11 ,500) and Swedish Texans
($9,500) books, Afro-American Tex­ans
pamphlet reprint ($1,875); Japa­nese
Texans pamphlet ($2,000),
Mexican Texans book ($15,500) and
The Texas Rangers book revision
($12 ,000).
Interested donors may also
wish to contribute to The Institute's
two endowments, The Pat and Jack
Maguire Alliance (Institute v0lun­teer
organization) and 01.i.treach
endowment funds.
Memorials given to honor
others (deceased or living), contri­butions
to the Unrestricted Gifts
Fund (used to meet a variety of
needs) and the Associate Member­ship
Program ($25 per year to
$10,000 or more one-time gift)
round out giving opportunities. For
additional information, prospective
donors may contact The Institute's
Development Office, (512) 226-7651
or p.o. Box 1226, San Antonio,
Texas 78294-1226.
Preservation: continued from page 5
separate negative from which addi­tional
positives may be made. Con­sequently,
they are one-of-a-kind,
irreplaceable photographs which can
only be reproduced by rephoto­graphing
them.
Copying is a vital preservation
measure for photographs that re­quire
restoration as well. Many of
these efforts are risky and do not
always produce the desired results.
By copying photographs before the
work begins, the image can be pre­served
even if the procedure is not
successful. Making reproductions
for display purposes is also recom­mended
because prolonged exposure
to light can be extremely harmful to
valuable originals.
Finally, if the proper care of a
particular photograph is in doubt,
consult a photo curator or conserva­tor
for assistance. They can also help
provide information about the vari-ous
institutions and organizations
which actively collect photographs
and the types of images which might
be useful to them. Daguerre did seize
the light; the challenge of holding
onto it remains.
Memorials
- The following tributes help support a
variety of programs and publications at The
Institute of Texan Cultures and create a
legacy of cultural pride that commemorates
these individuals.
Tributes were made in memory of:
Ms. Jo Ellen Burgwin by Lt. Gen. and
Mrs. John R. McGiffert and the
Alliance
Lt. Col. Edmond J. Burke by Maj . Gen.
and Mrs. Carl Stapleton and Mr. James
Patrick McGuire
Mr. E.O. Goldbeck by Ms. Carol B.
Greenlee
Mrs. Thelma Woodworth Heard by Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas M. O'Connor
Mrs. Lloyd (Genevieve) Lang by Mr. and
Mrs. Bill Wilkerson
Mr. Albert R. Long by Ms. Gloria
Ybarra, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Blase, Mr.
and Mrs. David W. Ross, Lt. Gen. and
Mrs. John R. McGiffert, Mr. and Mrs.
William Austin, Mr. and Mrs. Hubert
C. Moore and Mr. and Mrs. Norman
Golhke
Mrs. Anita Schuwirth Mclean by
Elizabeth and Chris Duerr and Douglas
and Lisa Duerr
Mr. G. Bedell Moore by Mrs. Mary K.
Moore
Ms. Geraldynne Slosson by the Alliance
Mr. David Wilder by Ms. Ruth Bailey
Further Reading
The following resources may be
helpful to those wishing more infor­mation
about photo preservation.
Caring for Photographs: Display,
Storage, Restoration (rev. ed.J. Chi­cago:
Time-Life Books, 1982.
Davis, Thomas L. Shoots: A Guide
to Your Family's Photographic
Heritage. Danbury, N.H.: Addison
House, 1977.
Ohm, Karen. "The Photoflow of
Family Life: A Family's Photograph
Collection:' Folklore Forum 13,
Bibliographic and Special Series,
1975.
Ostroff, Eugene. "Conserving and
Restoring Photographic Collec­tions:'
Museum News, May, Sep­tember,
November, December
1974; rev. ed.: American Associa­tion
of Museums, 1976.
Preservation of Photographs. Roch­ester,
N.Y.: Kodak, 1979.
Reilly, James M. Care and Identifica­tion
of 19th-Century Photographic
Prints. Rochester, N.Y. : Eastman
Kodak Company, 1986.
Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn, Gerald J.
Munoff and Margery S. Long. Ar­chives
& Manuscripts: Administra­tion
of Photographic Collections.
Chicago: Society of American Ar­chivists,
1984.
Weinstein, Robert A., and Larry
Booth. Collection, Use, and Care
of Historical Photographs. Nash­ville,
Tenn.: American Association
for State and Local History, 1977.
9
Adobe: continued from page 3
Dated 1886, this photo illustrates
adobe huts along West Twohig
1.--__' _ ' ~_" ______________- -, Ave. in San Angelo.
tion was built with cement blocks,
which are now considered more
stylish than adobe brick.
Interior Traditions
Traditionally, adobe homes in
the Southwest had little furniture.
Tables, chairs, and bedsteads were
seldom used. Oftentimes, long
benches were built into the walls,
where they were covered with a
blanket in the daytime. Cooking
fires were built outside, usually in
a separate room or round adobe
oven. By 1900, however, iron cook­stoves
and tables and chairs became
more prevalent.
Some ceilings were painted
bright colors. Others were covered
with muslin or calico stretched over
the vigas and painted with a mixture
of flour and water or milk. Often a
blanket was spread in the middle of
the floor for doing needlework and
receiving visitors.
Even today, Mexican cultural
influences are strong in many Texas
adobe homes. Rooms are often
painted with light pastels, and niches
for saints are carved in each room.
The furnishings are similar to those
found in most American homes.
The adobe construction meth­ods
that have been passed down to
present..:day Texans incorporate
practices with age-old origins. There
are traditions concerning brick di­mensions,
brick placement, propor­tions
of. clay and gravel, drying
methods, and roof materials, to
name only a few. In evident con­trast,
however, are the circum­stances,
scientific advances, and
personal preferences that have al­tered
the traditional adobe construc­tion
methods for individual applica­tions.
For instance:
Further Reading
-A two-room adobe house was
constructed by two women in Red­ford
with bricks only half the size
and weight of the standard adobe
brick. Because the women wanted
to build the house without the help
of male relatives, they made the
bricks small enough that they could
lift them, discarding the notion of
a singular, correct brick size.
-Some modern adobe makers
mix their dirt with a cement mixer.
One modern innovation includes
adding creosote, a desert shrub,
which discourages insects from tun­neling
in the brick.
It is also traditional for an ado­be
structure to change with the cir­cumstances
of its inhabitants. Usual­ly,
adobe residences are built one
room at a time. Rather than tearing
down and building anew or relocat­ing
when more space is required,
needed rooms are simply added to
the existing structure. An extreme
example of this technique is illus­trated
by a 17-room home in Red­ford
that originally had only two
rooms. Additions were built in 1934,
1950, 1960, and 1980. The last addi-
10
The following resources will be
helpful to those readers interested in
more information on adobe build­ings
and construction methods.
Abernethy, Francis Edward, ed. Built
in Texas. Waco: E-Heart Press,
1979.
Adobe Past and Present. Reprinted
from El Palacio, Vol. 77, No.4.
Santa Fe, N.M.: Museum of New
Mexico Press, 1972.
Boudrea, Eugene H. Making the
Adobe Brick. Forge Village, Mass.:
Fifth Street Press, 1980.
Bunting, Bainbridge. Early Architec­ture
in New Mexico. Albuquerque,
N.M.: University of New Mexico
Press, 1976.
___ . Taos Adobes. Santa Fe,
N.M.: University of New Mexico
Press, 1964.
Clifton, James R. Preservation of
Historic Adobe Structures: A Sta­tus
Report. Washington, D.C.: Na­tional
Bureau of Standards Techni­cal
Note 934, US. Government
Printing Office, Stock No.
003-003-01740-0, Feb. 1977.
De Leon, Arnoldo. The Tejano Com­munity,
1836-1900. Albuquerque,
N.M.: University of New Mexico
Press, 1982.
Garrison, James W., and Elizabeth F.
Ruffner, eds. Practical and Techni­cal
Aspects of Adobe Conserva­tion.
Prescott, Ariz.: Heritage
Foundation of Arizona, 1983.
Graham, Joe. "Folk Housing in
South and West Texas: Some Com­parisons:'
Proceedings of An Explo­ration
of a Common Legacy: A
Conference on Border Architecture.
Austin: Texas Historical Commis­sion,
1978.
McHenry, Paul Graham, Jr. Adobe:
Build It Yourself. Tucson, Ariz.:
University of Arizona Press, 1973.
Motto, Sytha. Old Houses of New
Mexico and the People Who Built
Them. Albuquerque, N.M.: Calvin
Horn Publishers, Inc., 1972.
Preservation of Historic Adobe
Buildings. Preservation Brief No.5.
Washington, D.C.: Technical Pres­ervation
Services Division, US.
Department of the Interior, 1978.
Stedman, Myrtle, and Wilfred Sted­man.
Adobe Architecture. Santa
Fe, N.M.: Sunstone Press, 1978.
Steinhart, Peter. "Dirt Chic:' Audu­bon,
Vol. 86, No.2. New York:
National Audubon Society, 1984.
."
Symbols of Texas:
A New Educational iW
Texas teachers and librarians
now have a new teaching tool from
The Institute with which to acquaint
younger students with many sym­bols
seen in everyday life. Symbols
of Texas: What Do They Mean? is
an audiovisual program designed to
help children understand the mean­ing
and significance of such symbols
as the Texas flag, the Alamo, blue­bonnets,
pecan trees and mocking­birds.
Both filmstrip and slide set
formats with accompanying audio
cassette narration are available.
Teachers can supplement the pro­gram
with the special study guide
included in the package.
The guide defines the concept
of symbols and suggests other areas
of study such as mathematics and
writing. Also included are vocabu­lary
lists and activities which have
been correlated to the essential
elements of the basic curriculum for
Texas schoolchildren from kinder­garten
through 4th grade.
Perhaps the most interesting of
the learning activities, especially for
3rd and 4th grade students, is a
board game entitled Help Lester
Longhorn Find His Herd. Players
roll dice and must correctly identify
various symbols to advance "Lester"
down the trail to the corral at the
finish line. The gameboard, cards
and playing pieces are fabricated
from materials provided in the
teacher's guide.
The cost for Symbols of Texas
is $50 for the slide set and $30 for
the filmstrip. For more information
or to order a copy of Symbols, con­tact
The Institute at (512) 226-7651.
New Members
Associates
Mr. and Mrs. George W. Abbott
Mrs. Alice Aelvoet
Brig. Gen. (ret. ) Julius H. Braun
Ms. Rose Mary Bryant· .'
Mr. and Mrs. Drew Cauthorn
Ms. Valerie F. Grace
Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Groos
Ms. Jane A. Hagelstein
Mr. Lance Livingston
Mrs. Helen Loftis
Mr. and Mrs. Oswin P. McCarthy
Mrs. Conrad]. Netting
Ms. Angelita Serbantez
Ms. Bernadette Serbantez
Mr. Richard G. Weil
Ambassadors
*Mr. H.L. Gober Jr., Brady
*Mr. Carl D. Kirk, Hewitt
*Ms. Helga Parks, Weimar
Mr. William J. Ratterman, Houston
*Mr. Hubert C. Schmidt, Midland
Mr. Richard A. Thompson, San Antonio
*inadvertently omitted from previous issue
Alliance
Mrs. Riki Allred
Mrs. Betsy Amestoy
Mrs. Connie Ball
Miss Katy Barone
Miss Rose Marie Bonenberger
Mrs. Eugenia Bowden
Mr. Michael Brown
Mrs. Irene Churchill
Ms. Carol Clifton
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Coffey
Mrs. Evelyn Crow
Mrs. Corina Cuevas
Mr. Mario De Arza
Ms. Virginia De La Zerda
Mr. Lawrence Duerson
Mrs. Beverly Flood
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Flynn
Mr. Enos Gary
Mrs. Adelfa Garza
Mrs. Midge Giambruno
Mr. Richard Griffin
Mrs. Regina Gros
Mrs. Sidney Grove
Mr. William Harris
Mrs. Dana Hengst
Mrs. MLiss Hill
Mrs. Camilla Howe
Mrs. Jean Humble
Mr. David Keedy
Mrs. Betty Kelling
Miss Beth Kennedy
Ms. Mimi Krezdorn
Mrs. Winnie Lay
Mr. Ben McCormick
Mrs. Muriel McDonald
Mrs. Dorothy Matecko
Ms. Annabel Miles
Mrs. Beth Mock
Mrs. Mary Olesen
Mr. and Mrs. Les Pis tel
Mr. Lee Prado
Ms. Clare Rahaman
Mr. Rudolf Scheffrahn
Mr. Dan Schlosberg
Mr. Hubert Schwencke
Mrs. Georgeanna Shenk
Mrs. Ann Springer
Mrs. Mary Jane Thompson
Mrs. Mary Lou Trevino
Mr. Glen Walrath
Mrs. Toni Whiting
Traveling Exhibits
Traveling exhibits are designed by The Institute of Texan Cultures so that all
Texans can enjoy learning about the state's ethnic heritage. The exhibits can be
found at schools, businesses, libraries, shopping malls, museums and other public
buildings throughout the state. The following list will help you locate the Institute
exhibit on display near you.
Afro-American Texans
Through April 20: SAN ANTONIO/Trinity University
Archeology in Texas
April IS-May 15: CISCO/Conrad N. Hilton Memorial Center
June 1-30: RICHMOND/ Ft. Bend County Museum
Children of Many Lands Came to Texas
April 1-30: HOUSTON/San Jacinto College North
The Greeks in Texas: A Proud Heritage
June I-August 31: ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA / St. Photius Foundation
Mexican Folk Toys
Through April 20: COLLEGE STATION/ Texas A&M University
Student Center
Through April 20: PALESTINE/Museum for East Texas Culture
Ranch Women: Roles, Images, Possibilities
April I-May 31: EDNA/ Texana Museum
The Texas Rangers
Through April 10: GATESVILLE/Gatesville Independent School District
11
Calendar of Events
Check the list below for upcoming events and activities of interest at The Institute of Texan Cultures and other University
of Texas institutions in San Antonio.
April
April 5-30 at The University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio: Western
Federation of Watercolor Societies 12th
Annual Exhibition -This exhibit of water­color
art will be on display in the Audi­torium
Foyer of the Medical Center.
April 6-May 1 at The University of Texas
at San Antonio: Santa Reparata-On
display in the Arts Teaching Gallery, this
exhibit is devoted to the prints of artists
who have worked at Santa Reparata
Graphic Art Centre in Florence, Italy.
April 7-26: Photo Heritage Days: Texas Fami­lies-
Designed to encourage public par­ticipation
and enhance The Institute's
photographic preservation work, this ex­hibit
features photographs submitted
from the personal collections and albums
of Texas families.
April 11, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: DEe on the Texas
Frontier-This special event is held in con­junction
with KidsDay SA and features
The Institute's "Back 40" exhibits and pro­grams.
Children can attend class in the
one-room schoolhouse, learn about cow­boy
life and the importance of water on
the range at the windmill and visit the
fort headquarters and barn for more
activities related to life in early Texas.
April 23, 5-11 p.m. at the University of Texas
Health Science Center: The annual
lJIHSC Fiesta party features live enter-tainment
and fun booths in the Audi­torium
Courtyard.
April 27-June 7: A Russell Lee Portfolio ­Forty
of Lee's photographs portraying the
people of Texas are included in this
display on loan from the Amarillo Art
Center. Lee's photographs of politicians,
cowboys, athletes and children with
special needs show a compassion and
genuine interest in the human condition.
May
Through June 7: A Russell Lee Portfolio
May 17-29 at The University of Texas at San
Antonio: MFA/BFA Exhibition-Fea­turing
the works of students in the
undergraduate and graduate fine arts
programs, this exhibit will be on display
in the Arts Teaching Gallery.
May 23, 7 p.m.: Alliance Appreciation Par­ty
- This annual event is a tribute to the
more than 400 volunteers who contribute
their time to The Institute.
June
Through June 7: A Russell Lee Portfolio
June 8-19,9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday:
Institute on Texas History and Culture/
4th grade level-Teachers discover more
about Texas history and methods of
stimulating student interest while earning
70 Advanced Academic Credits.
These events and exhibits are subject to change.
June 13-July 21: Texas Art on the Road­This
collection of 71 posters represents
the great variety of accomplishments of
cultural institutions in Texas. Posters
representing the Amon Carter Museum
in Fort Worth, the Texas Folklife Festival
and 47 other organizations are included.
June 22-July 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday­Friday:
Institute on Texas History and
Culture 17th grade level
Summer Preview
August 6-9: The 16th Annual Texas Folklife
Festival
Teachers' TI-IN Note
The following Institute presen tation
will be included in the TI-IN NETWORK's
schedule of upcoming programs. TI-IN is a
satellite transmission system which provides
resources to subscribing school districts
throughout Texas. For a complete list of
districts that subscribe, contact the TI-IN
NETWORK office at (512) 271-7611.
April 10, 1 p.m.: Texas Cowboys - Fourth
through sixth grade students learn about
the lives of Texas cowboys as presenters
Ron Dodson and Russell Lane gather
around a "cookfire" to discuss where
cowboys came from, who they were, the
types of equipment they used and what
it was like to be a cowboy.
The University of Texas
Institute of Texan Cultures
at San Antonio
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
San Antonio, Texas
Permit No. 364
Brothers Gumercindo and Carlos Alvarado pose for the camera in
1945. The photo was taken by a photographer who came by the
house with his pony and camera. (Photo courtesy of Mr. Arturo
Gutierrez of San Antonio)
Po. Box 1226
San Antonio, Texas 78294