"One Hundred Years Hence: Science Fiction and Fantasy at Texas A&M"

This exhibition featured pieces from Cushing's Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection, including manuscripts, first editions, pulp magazines and other items that capture science fiction's influence on literature, media and popular culture. Original manuscripts, letters and other material by such genre luminaries as George R. R. Martin, Robert Heinlein, Andre Norton, J.R.R. Tolkien and others were on display for the first time.

The collection contains material representing the history of the genre, from literary works that precede science fiction as we know it today, to early pulp periodicals and novels, to current best sellers and the archives of several well-known contemporary writers. “One Hundred Years Hence” presented an overview of the history through cases and wall panels exploring notable movements, writers and the influence of science fiction upon mass culture.

Archaeological Discoveries from the Weeks Following the Battle of San Jacinto

 

On October 9, 2009, Cushing Memorial Library & Archives presented the exhibition, Sea of Mud: the Retreat of the Mexican Army after the Battle of San Jacinto: an Archaeological Investigation.  After their defeat at the Battle of San Jacinto, the Mexican army became bogged down in terrain which Santa Anna’s successor, Vicente Filisola, described as “un Mar de Lodo,” or sea of mud.  This unforeseen disaster prevented further military action against the Texan army, and is part of the chain of events which contributed to the growth of the Republic of Texas.

This exhibition presented the dynamic story through many of the objects abandoned by the retreating army along a route rediscovered by Dr. Gregg Dimmick, a pediatrician and avocational archaeologist living in Wharton, Texas.  The many excavated artifacts on display – munitions, elements of uniforms, and personal belongings – vividly presented the account of the struggles of the retreating army and the many noncombatants who followed the soldiers. 

The opening at 3:00 on Friday, October 9, included an exhibition viewing, remarks by Dr. Dimmick and Dr. James E. Crisp, a notable historian and recent author of Sleuthing the Alamo.

 

Atmospheres of Antiquity: Paintings from the Carl C. Krueger Collection, exhibited in the Clifford Wendler Gallery on the second floor of Cushing Library.

 

After the presentation of the gift of the Krueger Collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century paintings to Texas A&M University in 1952, President Earl Rudder wrote that “it was the hope of Mr. Carl C. Krueger that his gift of the Krueger family collection of paintings would enrich the lives and broaden the views of those who would seek knowledge in the quiet atmosphere of Cushing Memorial Library. . . .  Many thousands have reaped the benefit of exposure to great art, an experience of inestimable value.”  These classical paintings, many representing historical scenes, were presented in the Clifford Wendler Gallery of Cushing Library.

The Temple of Taste: Celebrating the Robert L. Dawson Collection

 

The Robert L. Dawson French Collection represents a rich repository of primary material for the study of the long eighteenth century.  The importance of that century and the role of France on the international stage make it a great resource for the study of European and world history as well.  This exhibit represents the collection's first introduction to the scholarly community since its acquisition by Texas A&M.  The materials shown here are a fraction of the total holdings and give us only a glimpse of the possibilities for research and teaching contained within the collection.

This exhibition gathers a cross-section of the Dawson Collection, intended not only to depict its many high points, but to give a sense of its breadth and possibilities in further study and research.  This gathering includes official documents, frequently signed by monarchs; private letters and manuscripts; and printed material, from the literary to the scandalous and gossip-driven.  Together, it demonstrates many of the concepts and conflicts of the period, which altered the world of France, of ideas, of governance, of art, and beyond.  Examining the catalog may provide evidence of these changes not only in the text of the represented works, but articulated by the material details of the objects themselves.

The Crypto-Jews and the Inquisition in New Spain Symposium at Texas A&M

The Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, the Hillel Foundation, and the Melborn G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research at Texas A&M University will hold a symposium titled "The Crypto-Jews and the Inquisition in New Spain" at the Evans Library, April 17-18, 2008. This symposium will explore on one of the most prominent crypto-Jewish families to migrate to northern New Spain in the 16th century, the Carvajal family. It will be divided into the following sessions: European Background of the Carvajal Family; Life and Times of Luis de Carvajal; Expressions of Crypto-Jewish Faith; The Enduring Legacy of Luis de Carvajal. The symposium will also feature key note speaker Dr. Stanley Hordes, a visiting scholar in the Department of History and the Latin American Institute at the University of New Mexico and author of "To the End of the Earth: A History of the Crypto-Jews in New Mexico."

Don Quixote at Texas A&M University: A Celebration, 1605-2005

The Cushing Memorial Library and Archives and the Melborn G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research at Texas A&M University announce Don Quixote Illustrated: Textual Images and Visual Readings, A symposium and an exhibit in celebration of the 4th centenary of the Quixote, 1605-2005. The symposium, taking place March 28-29, 2005, will feature speakers from Texas A&M University, the University of Calgary, the Hispanic Society of America, and the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha.