Founded by Austin screenwriter and photographer Bill Wittliff and his wife, Sally, our mission is to collect, preserve and share the artistic culture that springs from the Southwestern imagination. Thousands of students, researchers and visitors engage with our collections each year and discover how the unique character of our region shapes its people and its culture.
Author: The Wittliff
Processing Jane Sumner’s audio archives opened up a fascinating world to me.
By Wittliff student worker, Jessica Henriquez. Jane Sumner, an award-winning film journalist for The Dallas Morning News, has interviewed directors, producers, writers, book authors, and the former Governor of Texas, Ann Richards. Through the years, she’s kept her roughly-recorded microcassettes …
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In Luck with the Red Headed Stranger
The Wittliff joined Willie Nelson and hundreds of his fans for a screening of a newly restored copy of the 1986 film “Red Headed Stranger” at his Luck ranch outside of Austin. The ranch buildings were constructed for the film, …
Susannah Broyles discusses “The Ramón Hernández Tejano Music Collection.”
The Wittliff has recently acquired the extensive Tejano music archive of Ramón Hernández, a San Antonio publicist, journalist, and photographer. The collection includes music memorabilia consisting of various artist’s costumes, records, original marketing posters, handwritten sheets of music, personal photographs, …
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Texas Historical Foundation announces grant.
The Texas Historical Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant in support of The Wittliff Collections new book project. Rivers of Texas: A Literary Companion will showcase the best writing on Texas rivers and waterways from a number of the state’s …
“Keith Carter Fifty Years” celebrated at The Wittliff
Recently The Wittliff played host to hundreds of fans eager to meet famed photographer Keith Carter. The room was filled to capacity with dignitaries, authors and respected photographers from across the state. Among the photographers in attendance were Wyatt McSpadden, …
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A new Wittliff “Bookmark” on the radio
The Wittliff is excited to announce that you will soon be able to hear in-depth interviews with your favorite Wittliff authors, thanks to a new partnership with “Bookmarked,” the weekly radio program hosted by Priscilla Leder on San Marcos radio …
The Wittliff acquires Tejano Music collection of Ramón Hernández
San Marcos, TX – As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University have acquired one of the largest known collections of Tejano Music materials and memorabilia in existence from renowned musicologist and collector Ramón Hernández. …
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Willie Nelson OBJECTified
(by Katie Salzmann) We never know who might request to use material from our archives, and earlier this summer the folks at the television show “OBJECTified” reached out to us for images of Willie Nelson to complement their hour-long interview …
Breathing new life into Cabeza de Vaca’s La relación.
Scholars of Texas, U.S. and world history can now access an innovative online resource that showcases the earliest written account of Texas and the Southwest. Texas State University Libraries and The Wittliff Collections today launched a website celebrating La relación, …
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VIDEO: A Conversation With Jerry Jeff and Susan Walker
In June of 2018, The Wittliff Collections’ curator of Texas Music, Hector Saldaña sat down for a candid conversation with Texas music legend Jerry Jeff Walker and his wife / manager Susan. This event was in celebration of The Wittliff’s …
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