American West

The Graff Collection, consisting of original manuscripts, maps, ephemeral material (trade cards, wanted posters, photos, claim certificates, news-sheets, etc), and rare printed sources, acts as a dynamic teaching and research resource. It includes papers of early pioneers, explorers and hunters, and the original manuscript journal and papers of James Audubon. Canada and the Pacific Northwest are well documented, including accounts of the Gold Rush and of the landscape. The evolution of Western towns can be seen through materials such as prospectuses and city directories. The growth of railway and road networks can be explored through maps and through records of key railroad companies. Emigrants' guides, manuscript travel journals, store catalogues, illustrations and maps enable scholars to understand the phenomenon of Westward expansion. Accounts of ranches and of the prairie lands document the agricultural transformation of the West. There are rich resources for the study of Texas, Mexico and the South. Literary and historical works, as well as contemporary newspapers and posters, enable a better understanding of the real and mythic West with first hand accounts of the lives of vigilantes and outlaws. Native American history and culture is also very well documented.