Docent in Training at The ACM Library

Hello again,

Imagine, if you will, that you are invited into a room that contains most of what makes your soul sing and, you are told that it is all for you to use. In fact you are invited to make use of anything in the room. But wait, there is much, much more. You are taken through a door, down a hall into another room that holds even more treasures and, once again you are invited to use it. This was our joy in last nights class. We were conducted through the library at the Amon Carter and saw all the wonders it holds.

This is the Amon Carter Museum library reading room. The whole library, including what you do not see, has 4,743 feet of floor space, 2,328 shelves and 6,887 linear feet of storage. I could give you all of the numbers but I believe it might overwhelm.

Just a few of the numbers are:

52,000 book volumes
About 20,000 bound and lose periodical and journal issues
66,000 pieces of microform
About 10,000 auction catalogs
About 2,000 museum annual reports and bulletins
About 300 linear feet of clipping/ephemera material
A stellar collection of illustrated books, many  of which include original art

All available to us and you for research. You can browse and enjoy the reading room but there is a reference librarian to help you to other jewels in the back area.

Speaking of jewels I would like to thank Jon Frembling for giving us our tour and making history literally come alive with his descriptions of books, maps, and all items of interest. He showed us a camera that belonged to Laura Gilpin and gave us a visual of her taking photos at age 80 something with that camera from an airplane. Jon's passion for the museum collection was very easy to see and understand.

One last jewel is picture of Amon Carter with FDR concerning the land for Big Bend National Park. Between the efforts of Mr. Carter, J. O. Langford and E. E. Townsend this park became a reality. For more see this link.

Texas Gift to the Nation




I could go on and on but will not. If you ever visit the Amon Carter Museum of American Art please stop in the library. You will be amazed.

Until next class,

Caroline

Docent in Training First Class

Hello!

Welcome to my adventures as a volunteer or keeping a senior out of trouble.

I have been accepted to be a docent (teacher, tour guide) at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Ft Worth, Texas. This blog will be the journey it takes to achieve this wonderful opportunity. This is the first week of several months of study at the museum. As a class we had to introduce each other as if we were art works. Interesting to say the least.

My mind is in overtime with all I have to read and retain. The Amon Carter Museum has been in existence since 1961 which makes it young in the museum world; however it is a museum well endowed and has been under excellent leadership. This has allowed it to grow and expand from the western art collection, notably works by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, given by Amon G. Carter to start a museum for the people of Tarrant County, Texas.




Charles Russell

Frederic Remington

Today spouse and I attended a themed tour at the museum of the exhibition "In Our Own Words": Native Impressions by artists Daniel Heyman and Lucy Ganje. Also included in the tour was the exhibit The Theatrical Wild West about William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The native impressions is both very sad and yet hopeful. Mr. Heyman and MS. Ganje interviewed several Native Americans in North Dakota and created works of art based on what they heard. The most interesting part of Buffalo Bill is the fact that he was able to keep the show running for 30 years and had hundreds of people working for him, including Sitting Bull, Wild Bill Hickok, and Annie Oakley. Not to mention the hundreds of animals. Imagine the logistics that went into transporting all of them.



In Our Own Words



The Theatrical Wild West

There will be much, much more on this adventure and, if accepted, my adventure in becoming a master gardener certified by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Have to wait to see if I am accepted into that program. Why did I wait until age 77 to start all this? Well the business of life took up the first 76 and if not now it will never happen.

As Roy used to say,
Happy Trails

Caroline