Reilly (Robert M.) Papers
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REILLY (ROBERT M.) PAPERS (Mss. 4662) Inventory Compiled by Charles F. Thomas 1997 Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections Special Collections, Hill Memorial Library Louisiana State University Libraries Baton Rouge, Louisiana Revised 2009 REILLY (ROBERT M.) PAPERS Mss. 4662 1955-1996 LSU Libraries Special Collections CONTENTS OF INVENTORY SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 3 BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE ....................................................................................... 4 SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE ................................................................................................... 5 SERIES DESCRIPTIONS .............................................................................................................. 6 INDEX TERMS .............................................................................................................................. 7 CONTAINER LIST ........................................................................................................................ 8 Use of manuscript materials. If you wish to examine items in the manuscript group, please fill out a call slip specifying the materials you wish to see. Consult the Container List for location information needed on the call slip. Photocopying. Should you wish to request photocopies, please consult a staff member before segregating items to be copied. The existing order and arrangement of unbound materials must be maintained. Publication. Readers assume full responsibility for compliance with laws regarding copyright, literary property rights and libel. Permission to examine archival and manuscripts materials does not constitute permission to publish. Any publication of such materials beyond the limits of fair use requires specific prior written permission. Requests for permission to publish should be addressed in writing to the Head, LLMVC, Special Collections, LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-3300. When permission to publish is granted, two copies of the publication will be requested for the LLMVC. Proper acknowledgment of LLMVC materials must be made in any resulting writing or publications. The correct form of this citation is given on the summary page. Copies of scholarly publications based on research in the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections are welcomed. 2 REILLY (ROBERT M.) PAPERS Mss. 4662 1955-1996 LSU Libraries Special Collections SUMMARY Size. 9.3 linear feet. Geographic Louisiana; United States; Great Britain; Pacific Ocean. locations. Inclusive dates. 1955-1996. Languages. English. Summary. Photographs, film negatives, drawings, clippings, research notes, correspondence, papers, speeches, newsletters, maps, and brochures document Robert M. Reilly’s research, publications, and other activities related to United States firearms, the Civil War, and World War II in the Pacific Ocean. Source. Given in 1996 to the United States Civil War Center and the LSU Libraries to be placed on permanent deposit in the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collection of the LSU Libraries. Copyright. Literary and property rights of the materials of Robert M. Reilly are retained by the LSU Libraries. Copyright of other original materials is retained by the creators, or their descendants, of the materials in accordance with U.S. copyright law. Citation. Robert M. Reilly Papers, Mss. 4662, Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Stack location. UU:235-244. 3 REILLY (ROBERT M.) PAPERS Mss. 4662 1955-1996 LSU Libraries Special Collections BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE Robert M. Reilly was born in Chicago in 1928. After attending Morgan Park Junior College (Chicago) for a year, he transferred to the University of Idaho, where he remained until 1949. Reilly married in 1951, before he joined the United States Navy, where he attained the rank of petty officer first class before his enlistment expired in 1955. He and his family returned to Chicago, where Reilly worked as a graphic artist until 1962, when they relocated to Baton Rouge. His career in Baton Rouge centered on his interest in military history, and included positions as Director of Research and Industrial Development for the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce (1967-1973), owner of a military antique store (1973-1979), special consultant and researcher for the Louisiana Office of State Parks (1981-1982), and Curator of the Old State Capitol Building (1982-1986). Reilly died March 24, 1996, at the age of sixty-seven. Reilly’s memberships in military history societies included the Company of Military Historians, American Society of Arms Collectors, U.S. Naval Institute, International Naval Research Organization, the Civil War Round Table of Baton Rouge, the Pelican Arms Collectors Association, and many other state and regional associations related to antique weapons and military and naval history. He was an advocate for historic sites such as the Port Hudson Battlefield, the USS Kidd naval destroyer, and the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Massachusetts. Robert Reilly’s works as a military artist and military historian were well received by the military history community. His maps and illustrations appeared in numerous articles and books. Reilly’s major works include U.S. Military Small Arms, 1816-1865 (1970), United States Martial Flintlocks (1986), and American Socket Bayonets and Scabbards (1990). These three works represent thirty years of research, and include nearly two thousand drawings by Reilly. 4 REILLY (ROBERT M.) PAPERS Mss. 4662 1955-1996 LSU Libraries Special Collections SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE Photographs, film negatives, drawings, clippings, research notes, correspondence, papers, speeches, newsletters, maps, and brochures document Robert M. Reilly’s research, publications, and other activities related to United States firearms, the Civil War, and U. S. naval activities during World War II in the Pacific Ocean. The largest portion of this collection consists of research materials, arranged alphabetically by topic, in the original order as established by Reilly. In addition to the clippings, notes, and photographs, an abundance of correspondence (1955-1996) evidences the network of friends and associates who helped Robert Reilly compile his exhaustive reference sources. His experiences with publishing, historic preservation, and as an employee of the State of Louisiana are also reflected in this collection. Included are correspondence and map creations relating to his collaboration with Dr. T. Harry Williams for the Civil War book Hayes of the Twenty- Third. Biographical information is provided by items such as a newsletter printed by his fellow crewmembers on the USS Des Moines (1955), a letter announcing his appointment as a Fellow of the Company of Military Historians (1964), a 1988 resume, and miscellaneous correspondence. 5 REILLY (ROBERT M.) PAPERS Mss. 4662 1955-1996 LSU Libraries Special Collections SERIES DESCRIPTIONS I. Research Materials, mostly undated (7 linear feet) Reilly’s research materials are arranged alphabetically by topic, and include clippings, newsletters, photographs, film negatives, drawings, correspondence, and research notes. Many of these materials were used in numerous magazine articles and books, and often contain correspondence from readers. Research materials in this collection deal with military weapons, accouterments, unusual items, battlefields, and the Civil War. II. General Correspondence, 1955-1996 (1.5 linear feet) Robert Reilly grouped correspondence both topically and chronologically. General correspondence is primarily in chronological order, but series of related letters are grouped by the date of the first correspondence. Includes the 1964 correspondence among Reilly, T. Harry Williams, and his publisher relative to the maps created for the T. Harry Williams book, Hayes of the Twenty-Third. III. Papers and Speeches, undated (.2 linear feet) Several papers and speeches demonstrate Reilly’s activities as a public speaker. The topics range from antique weapons to United States naval actions in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. IV. Publishing Information, undated (.3 linear feet) This series contains information on United States copyright laws; lists of publishers; editors’ comments on Reilly’s writings and map creations; materials related to Eagle Press, publisher of his first book; and promotional materials related to his books. Reilly was heavily involved in all aspects of publishing his books, so much of the correspondence deals with cost estimates for various publishing options. V. Illustrations, 1964, undated (.2 linear feet) Many of the drawings that appear in Series I. Research Materials were produced from the original drawings in this series. Illustrations are divided into three categories: firearms, bayonets, and accouterments. Includes map creations (created in 1964, but regarding sites of 1861 and 1864 Civil War battles) related to the T. Harry Williams book, Hayes of the Twenty-Third. VI. Biographical Information, 1955-1992 (.1 linear ft.) Materials that provide biographical information about Robert Reilly include photographs, a 1955 newsletter produced by the crew of the USS Des Moines, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and a resume. 6 REILLY (ROBERT M.) PAPERS Mss. 4662 1955-1996 LSU Libraries Special Collections INDEX TERMS Terms Series Bayonets I, II, V Carbines I, II Civil War, 1861-1865 --