SAPL Texana/Genealogy Department
Special Collections
Online collection** Oral History Collection **Ephemera Collection
"Special collections" are groups of materials given to the Library by individuals and are designated as special due to the nature of the collection or the original owner. Examples include,
The Rosengren Collection consists of a group of rare 18th, 19th, and early 20th century childrens books given by Florence and Frank Rosengren.
Edward W. Heusinger Geographical Collection was presented to the Library by Mr. Heusinger, a local merchant, a founder of the San Antonio Scientific Society and member of the Royal Geographical Society. There are approximately 160 books on geography and travel published from the 1800s to the mid-1950s, recording accounts during the Age of Exploration.
In 1925 Mary Ellen Slayden donated 325 volumes from her husbands (James L. Slayden, U. S. Representative from Bexar County) library. They relate primarily to World War I and international peace. Also included is a collection of autographs. (Slayden Collection)
Longtime San Antonio newspaperman J. P. Newcomb (Newcomb Collection) is represented by two collections. One is a collection of bound volumes of his newspapers from the 1850s to early 1900s (now available on microfilm). The other is a collection consisting of family and business letters beginning in the early 1800s with his father, Thomas, and their move from Nova Scotia to San Antonio and continuing into the early 1900s.
San Antonios long love affair with the military is represented in several collections: Col. Martin Giesecke Collection (World Wars I & II, San Jose Cattle Co. and Liberty Mills); Birkhead Collection (commander of Randolph AFB); Ann Flores collection of German publications from World Wars I and II. A collection of newspapers published by German POWs while in the United States and Canada, a collection of published primary accounts of the two world wars, and a number of other primary source collections are also available.
The Hertzberg Rare Book Collection includes several thousand books on all subjects. While most of the books are not actually rare, there are some, for example: a first issue of the first edition of the 1611 King James Bible, Biblia Latina (A.D. 1250), numerous illuminated manuscript pages, two volumes of English broadsides, and many more items.
Online Collection
This section is currently under construction.
Ephemera Collection
This section is currently under construction.
Oral History Collection
1960 Interview with then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson on Perry Kallison's "Trading Post" radio program.
