I don't. I think of stacks of old Texas books and maps.
In Texas, we know our history is our greatest treasure. So when I saw this map in an archive, my eyes saw a treasure map. If you're a book person or you grew up in the 1950s-60s, I think you'll see it that way, too.
In 1955, the First National Bank of Dallas produced this map for the Dallas Public Library system. Today, it's a time capsule of 20th century Texas history and literature. It's the vastness of Texas, decorated like a Christmas tree with her great books and charming illustrations.
The gang's all here!
- Tom Lea
- Walter Prescott Webb
- Herbert Bolton
- Chris Emmett
- O'Henry
- J. Frank Dobie
- Charlie Siringo
- J. Evetts Haley
- Roy Bedichek
- Eugene C. Barker
- Fred Gipson
- Frank Goodwyn
Some of these books and authors are near and dear to your heart....others you've never have heard of and must seek out. That's where the treasure hunt begins.
The presses - some long defunct - that produced the most beautiful Texas history books are here, too.
- Naylor in San Antonio.
- UT Press in Austin.
- Kaleidograph in Dallas.
- Elseiver in Houston.
- Frontier Times in Bandera.
- Carl Hertzog in El Paso.
- Highland Press in Boerne.
And much like 1955 itself, this map is not PC. Some of the illustrations are taboo by modern standards and half of the books you see here would not be published today. (Except by us...I delight in finding about ten of our titles on this map!)
There's much you can do with this map.
First of all, you can enjoy some nostalgia. It will bring memories flooding back when you spy an old literary friend.
You can use it as a wish list on your hunt for Texas book treasures.
Best of all maybe, it can spark conversations with friends who love Texas and Texas books as much as you do.
Physical Details
- 24 by 20 inches
- Open Edition
- On heavyweight fine-art paper
This is a high quality fine-art print.
The paper is acid free, cold press cotton watercolor with an elegant ever so lightly textured finish. This surface allows the inks to 'bite', reproducing the shading and tonality of the original map vividly, beautifully, and exactly.
The inks are guaranteed color-fast for 80 years, which means you won't need to lay out the extra money for UV glass. You can hang your map in direct sun and it will be just as bright when they are passed on to the next generation it is the day it ships.
