New Acquisitions at Bancroft
Bancroft has recently acquired two new pieces: Songs of the Cowboys and the Babb collection of Letters and Photographs.
Thorp, N. Howard (Nathan Howard), 1867-1940. Songs of the cowboys. Publisher: Estancia, N.M. : News Print Shop, 1908
Songs of the Cowboys is the first published book of cowboy songs, and also one of the rarest published works on the topic. This small format handprinted work, measuring about 6" x 4", could easily be slipped into a cowboy's chaps pocket for use while out on the range. Thorp dedicates it to "Ranchmen of the West" and to "the younger generation who know not of the trip from Texas to Dodge."
Caroline M. and George Babb — A collection of letters and a photograph album.
This remarkable group of 52 letters by Caroline M. Babb, 12 letters by George Babb, and an album of 131 photographs taken by the Babbs of the Hawaiian people, architecture, views of the region, and crops provides rich documentation of Hawaii from 1891 to 1893.
The Babbs, a young couple from Maine, taught at Kamehameha School in Honolulu. Mrs. Babb's correspondence begins with five letters detailing the cross country trip from the east by train to San Francisco. Later letters describe the school and its teachers and students along with descriptions of the natural surroundings and the local customs. There is much about the couples' social activities—from reports on fly fishing to baseball games to formal social gatherings. Of special note are a letters from the Babbs dated Jan. 1893 describing the 1893 Revolution.
The photographs record the native Hawaiian students who attended Kamehameha School, the faculty, the campus, as well as images of Chinese and Japanese workers; while landscape views include Diamond Head, volcanos, and plantations. There is also a portrait of Princess Kaiulani, the heiress to the throne.
All in all these documents provide a valuable account of Hawaii in the year leading to the 1893 revolution and the immediate post-revolutionary period.
—by Theresa Salazar
Volume 116
Spring 2000
Table of Contents
The Silent Multitude of Voices in the Reading Room
From the Director: Bancroft Goes Digital
Highlights from Bancroft's Web Resources
Paramount Theatre Archives at The Bancroft Library
Three Monuments in the History of Science Arrive at Bancroft
Ancient Lives: The Tebtunis Papyri in Context
From Mine to Natural Reserve: ROHO records the transition
Chemistry Symposium in Honor of Kenneth S. Pitzer Held January 9 to 13, 2000: Oral History Presented
Welcome, Iris Donovan, Circulation Supervisor in Bancroft
