THEKEYSTONE THEWITTLIFFCOLLECTIONS SPRING 2010 | SOUTHWESTERNWRITERSCOLLECTION | SOUTHWESTERN & MEXICANPHOTOGRAPHYCOLLECTION ® UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS A member of The Texas State University System from the INTERIM DIRECTOR: steve davis Connie Todd, 2008, ally known creative center, a place walked onto the stage she took the (left) Ave Bonar where students come to be inspired, open mic and turned to address the Fiesta religiosa en Amecameca / Religious visitors come to be delighted, and crowd. “Thank you all very much,” festival in Amecameca, scholars come to be nourished. Connie began. Then lowering her circa 1924, THE COLLECTIONS Hugo Brehme IN CURRICULUM The figures associated with voice slightly, she added, “And if you Connie’s tenure are remarkable—the don’t mind, I’d like to express my (middle) Texas State professors Indio de los alrededores 1,187% growth in accessions, the 18 appreciation in song.” Then she threw from diverse depart - de San Juan Teotihuacán / books she had a hand in producing, her head back and laughed, that Indian from the vicinity ments, including and the 25+ major photography marvelous, sparkling laugh that has of San Juan Teotihuacán, Modern Foreign n.d., Hugo Brehme Languages, Political exhibitions she curated or co-curated, cascaded over the Wittliff Collections Science, Southwestern the increase in visitation from a few these last 12-plus years. Studies, Public History, hundred to over 30,000 visitors Connie retired as director on and English, access the annually, and her staff—which grew January 15, knowing she was leaving MUSEUM ASSESSMENT Wittliff Collections’ from three to 12 full-time employees. the Wittliff Collec tions in very good PROGRAM IN literature, film, tele - But the real influence Connie had shape indeed. And just as with her PROGRESS vision, music, and THE TIME IS Spring 2009: Connie on the Wittliff Collections was her earlier trip to Paris, the staff realizes The American photographic archives Todd is enjoying a well-deserved spirit—and her vision. Those of us that even though Connie is not here in Association of and galleries as a vacation in Paris when her brother, who worked with her quickly learned person, her remarkable and enduring Museums has selected resource for teaching. Terry Todd, calls the Wittliff office. legacy—not to mention the echoes of the Wittliff Collections Cyrus Cassells and from a pool of Kathleen Peirce are “Steve, I just wanted to say I’ve her laughter—will remain with us for approximately 100 among the MFA been hearing that things are going years to come. applicants to participate Creative Writing really well over there at the Wittliff We’re especially thrilled to in its Museum Program faculty who Collections,” Terry began. “No one’s announce we’ll have Connie back in SUSAN FROST donates BREHME collection Assessment Program bring students to the calling in sick anymore, people are the house on April 17, this time as the (MAP). MAP provides galleries to compose skipping around the hallways, and the guest speaker at our reception for the OUR DEEPEST THANKS go to Susan of the people and places of Mexico, collegial, consultative object-specific poems staff is far more productive than it’s Toomey Frost for generously donating and he opened his first photography ¡Viva México! and Vaquero photog - feedback to museums inspired by photographs ever been. In fact, morale seems to be raphic exhibitions (see p. 13). Who her Hugo Brehme Collection to the studio in Mexico City in 1912. in assisting them to set on display. Spanish at an all-time high, and I’m just better to talk about images from the Wittliff Collections in Novem ber. The Identifying himself as a fine-art priorities and identify Professor Dr. Blake wondering if you have any idea why permanent collection than the curator comprehensive archive, com prised of photographer, Brehme created real needs for change. Locklin assigns students that may be…” who helped to build it? Who knows, over 1,800 Brehme postcards, maxi - photo postcards that were printed on Helping museum staff to write critical and and leadership assess reflective essay Then Terry and I dissolved into she may even burst into song with a mum cards, black-and-white pho to - photographic papers with a variety of # how their operations responses to images in laughter, knowing that the joke was corrido or two. graphs, and hand-tinted photo graphs, tones and finishes, giving each image measure up to the exhibitions, while on his beloved sister, Connie, and on —Steve Davis took Frost 15 years to build. a richness and complexity. standards and best Dr. Mark Busby brings our beloved boss, the estimable (Assistant Curator Steve Davis is In addition to her donation of the His postcards include scenes of practices in the field, his Southwestern Señora Todd. The truth was, yes, we that Connie never settled for good serving as interim director while Texas photographs, Frost gifted an extensive Mexico City, Xochimilco, Veracruz, MAP provides feedback Studies students for an were all doing fine without Connie— enough. For her, it always had to be State conducts a search for the new library of books, periodicals, and travel Taxco, Cuernavaca, Puebla, and on how institutions introduction to the because her indelible imprint had excellent. She pushed herself, and she ephemera related to the artist. The smaller towns; the volcanoes Popo - Wittliff Collections director.) might address their Wittliff’s literary hold - already shaped the way the Wittliff pushed us, to continually strive for Hugo Brehme Collection is a valuable catépetl, Ixtaccíhuatl, and Pico de current challenges, ings. Curators and staff Collections operated, and had helped that goal, and she did so in a way that addition to the Wittliff’s holdings and Orizaba; archaeological sites and and on what resources are available to speak to shape the staff itself—a close-knit emphasized collegiality, consensus, greatly enhances the Southwestern & artifacts; and portraits and scenes of might be of help to classes about current team of dedicated, intelligent, hard- respect, and humor. Mexican Photography Collection. the daily life of the Mexican people. them. An assessment exhibitions, care of team of five members collections, and photo - working, creative people—a group In the last year of Connie’s tenure, Considered to be the leading Brehme was also an astute comprised of Wittliff graphic technolo gies. that also enjoys laughter. A staff that a university awards ceremony was expert on Brehme’s work, Frost’s businessman and a savvy entrepre - staff and Joan Heath, To schedule a class visit, was seemingly created in Connie’s held at the LBJ Ballroom on campus. previous scholarship includes the monograph Colors on neur. He introduced the photographic Christmas card to Assistant Vice click the Request a Tour own image. There, Information Technology Vice Clay, recipient of the Texas State Historical Association’s best Mexico, as well as the souvenir booklet of multiple picture President, University link on our website: As Terry and I both knew, Connie President Van Wyatt announced that illustrated book published in 2009 on Texas history and postcards that became popular with collectors and which Library, are leading the www .the wittliff collections had brought tremendous energy, Connie Todd had won the division’s culture. Read more about Frost’s work with Brehme’s photo tourists could tear out and mail. Collections in a four- .txstate.edu. vision, creativity, and wisdom over the “Supervisory Excellence” award. (Un - postcards at www.io.com /~ reuter/brehme.html. Brehme influenced many early Mexican photographers, month institutional previous dozen years as she guided be knownst to Connie, her entire staff HUGO BREHME (1882-1954) was born in Germany including Manuel Álvarez Bravo, and he is known self-study that will the Wittliff Collections, transforming had worked together to nominate and studied photography in his native land. While in his internationally for his iconic images of Mexican scenic culminate in an on-site ON THE COVER what was once Texas State University’s her.) A surprised Connie rose from early twenties, he traveled to Mexico where he began a life - landscapes and life. He became a Mexican citizen before his assessment from a MAP Mexico City, 1961, # Manuel Carrillo 2 “best-kept secret” into an internation - her table to collect her prize. As she long engagement with the country. Brehme captured images death in 1954. 3 peer reviewer. (this page, right) document from 1964: a Certificate of Exemption From Poll Campaign ad for Tax issued to a 21-year-old Hightower, then a junior at the JOIN JIM Hightower’s 1980 run for HIGHTOWER Railroad Commissioner University of North Texas, because he was a first-time voter. MAY 1, 2010 SWIM for (below) Hightower Finally abolished in Texas in 1966 as unconstitutional, the The Living Spirit of during his campaign for poll tax was designed to deter poor people, especially blacks Texas Agri culture TEXAS POPULISM: and Latino Americans, from voting, an issue in the Civil In Our Politics, Commissioner, in front of AGAINST In Our Culture what is now Gueros Taco Rights Movement that inspired the young Hightower to set Bar on South Congress in out on a political path. JIM HIGHTOWER Austin, ca. 1981, THE Also on display are Hightower’s papers from his work as is the guest speaker Ave Bonar the national campaign coordinator for U.S. Senator Fred for this day full of (opposite, top) Pen-and- Harris’s crusade for president in 1976, as well as numerous festivities celebrating ink drawing by political cartoonist Ben Sargent campaign photos and memorabilia from Hightower’s own the gift of his archive CURRENT and the Southwestern (middle) Hightower on runs for office. High tower served as Texas’s Commissioner of the radio at Threadgill’s Agriculture from 1983-1991, and while in office he Writers Collection exhibition, Swim in Austin, ca.