Photograph of Robert E. Lee

Photograph of Robert E. Lee. General Lee served as a Confederate General during the U.S. Civil War. He died on October 12, 1870. The photo is a head and shoulders view of Lee. He is wearing a dark suit, white shirt and black bow-tie. He has gray/white hair and a medium-length beard. Text under the image reads, "Last Photograph General Robert E. Lee."
Date: 1850/1969
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Photograph of the Grounds of the U.S. Capitol

Photograph of the grounds at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. The capitol building is in the background and the trees are the focus of the image. It is matted on a cream board.
Date: unknown
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Photograph of Sam Rayburn Eating Breakfast

Photograph of Sam Rayburn eating breakfast with members of his family. Seated at the table from left to right: Will Rayburn (Sam's brother), Sam, and Lucinda Rayburn (Sam's sister). The Rayburn family's cook, Bobbie Phillips, is seen in the background. The family is seated in the Sam Rayburn House breakfast room. Sam Rayburn is eating a porkchop for his breakfast. Other foods that can be seen include biscuits, fried eggs, sausage and berries. Many of the serving items seen in the photo are on display in the Sam Rayburn House Museum today. Will Rayburn came to live with his brother Sam, following the death of his wife. Lucinda Rayburn served as the hostess of the household. Bobbie Phillips served as the family's cook for many years. She married Charlie Phillips, the Rayburn's groundskeeper and together they lived on teh property in the caretaker's cottage. They eventually moved into their own home in Bonham. The Rayburn's breakfast room was converted from a kitchen following the addition of a modern kitchen in the 1940s (prior to this photograph being taken). After the conversion, the old kitchen was modified into a breakfast room, with the family eating the majority of their meals here.
Date: [1934..1943]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

"In All Her Glory" Sailing Ship Print

Print by Gordon Grant. "In All Her Glory" print of a sailing ship at sea.
Date: 1900/1927
Creator: Grant, Gordon
Object Type: Artwork
System: The Portal to Texas History

Print by Walter Ernest Webster

Print of a watercolor painting by Walter Ernest Webster. Wa woman (ballerina) sits on a balcony railing while a young man with his arm resting on railing stares upward at her. The woman wears a large flouncing skirt, or tutu and ballet slippers in white. She clutches a blue shawl around her. He hair is blonde and rather short. The man wears a red coat. In the background are flowers, trees and architectural features. On the floor is a bouquet of red flowers.
Date: 1878/1959
Creator: Webster, Walter Ernest
Object Type: Artwork
System: The Portal to Texas History

Godey's Fashions for May 1865

Print of "Godey's Fashions for May 1865." Color artwork of five women wearing dresses with very large, hoop skirts. The color on the image has faded. The background is composed of trees, sky and fountains.
Date: 1865
Creator: Godey's
Object Type: Artwork
System: The Portal to Texas History

Photograph of Medibel Rayburn Bartley

Photograph of Medibel Rayburn Bartley, Sam Rayburn's sister, wearing a dark-colored formal dress. She is standing in a formal living room next to a couch and chair. She holds her hands in front of her as she faces the camera.
Date: unknown
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Photograph of Katherine Thomas

Photograph of Katherine (Kate) (Rayburn) Thomas. Katherine Thomas was one of Sam Rayburn's sisters. The photograph is a head and shoulders image of Mrs. Thomas. She wears a V-neck dress with shiny appliques on the shoulders. She wears a matching necklace. her hair is pulled back from her face in a low chignon.
Date: 1872/1971
Creator: Gittings portrait studio
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

"Good Night Columbine" print by Walter Ernest Webster

Print of a scene from the 1892 opera by Ruggero Leoncacallo, Pagliacci. The print shows a woman wearing the clothes of a ballerina, sleeping on a couch. A man dressed as a clown bends down over her as if to give her a kiss. He is holding back curtains with his left hand. The woman has short, blonde hair and wears a white, tutu style dress. The couch she lays upon is blue. The mime's clothing is multicolored, he wears a black hat. Most of his face cannot be seen. A tall, french door can be seen behind them along with a curtain.
Date: 1927
Creator: Webster, Walter Ernest
Object Type: Artwork
System: The Portal to Texas History

Print by August Hutaf, "Hold Still!"

Print by August Hutaf of a drawing titled "Hold Still!" In this image, a little girl is buttoning the bloomers of an even smaller child holding a candy cane. Underneath the image is the title and copyright information as well as two safety pins. It is signed in the upper right corner.
Date: 1908
Creator: Hutaf, August
Object Type: Artwork
System: The Portal to Texas History

Nativity scene print

Color print of Christian nativity scene. Mary with baby Jesus in manger at center. Three kings with gifts are on the left side. A shepherd with animals is on the right. A bright star shines above Mary. The piece appears to have been clipped from a magazine. The advertising on the back of this image is for Elgin watches, dated 1922.
Date: 1920/1930
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Artwork
System: The Portal to Texas History

Autographed Photo of Sam Rayburn

Photograph of Sam Rayburn. Sepia-toned toned photograph of Sam Rayburn from the chest up. He wears a dark suit, tie and white shirt. The photograph is autographed by Sam Rayburn. The words, "To my sister Meddie with my deepest affection--Sam Rayburn" are at the bottom of the photo. Meddie (Medibel Bartley) was one of Sam Rayburn's three sisters. She and her husband, S.E. Bartley lived in Sam Rayburn's home in Bonham beginning in the 1940s.
Date: 1882/1961
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Watercolor Painting of an Oceanside scene

Watercolor painting of an oceanside beach scene. Painting depicts a sandy dirt path or roadway leading to/from a body of water. Sandy grassy hills on either side of path with a small bush/tree on the right side. Water in background, sky above. In the lower right corner, the artist has signed the painting, "Nellie Bossey McCurdy 1903."
Date: 1903
Creator: Nellie Bossey McCurdy
Object Type: Artwork
System: The Portal to Texas History
Poem by Grace Dupree Ridings (open access)

Poem by Grace Dupree Ridings

Print of a bird on a fence with a poem by Grace Dupree Ridings. The poem, "Have You?", is as follows: "Have you ever / Seen new violets, / Have you heard / A robin sing, / When you can / Keep from thinking / It is Spring... / It is Spring?"
Date: unknown
Creator: Ridings, Grace Dupree
Object Type: Poem
System: The Portal to Texas History

Photograph of the Texas Delegates during the 86th Congress--Second Session, 1960

Color photograph of the Texas delegates in the 86th U.S. Congress during the second session in 1960. The photograph is of 23 men. One row of men is seated at a long, rectangular table, covered in a white tablecloth and set with plates and three flower arrangements. The second row of men stands behind those seated. The room in the background is rather opulent, with red draperies over the windows, a large, crystal chandelier and a gilt framed mirror. Caption that accompanied photo names all those in the photo and their home districts. The caption reads, "TEXAS DELEGATION - DEMOCRATS - 1960 EIGHTY-SIXTH UNITED STATES CONGRESS - SECOND SESSION WASHINGTON, D.C.--(All Representatives from Districts indicated except United States Senators Johnson and Yarborough.) Front row(left to right): 20th Dist., Paul J. Kilday; 11th Dist., W.R. Poage; 1sth Dist., Wright Patman; Senator Lyndon B. Johnson; 4th Dist., Speaker of House Sam Rayburn; Senator Ralph W. Yarborough; 19th Dist., George H. Mahon; 8th Dist., Albert Thomas; and 21st Dist., O.C. Fisher. Back row (left to right): 22nd Dist., Bob Casey; 14th Dist., John Young; 16th Dist., J.T. Rutherford; 2nd Dist., Jack Brooks; 13th Dist., Frank Ikard; 10th Dist., Homer Thornberry, 17th Dist., Omar …
Date: 1960
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Photograph of Sam Rayburn and Group on Horseback

Photograph of Sam Rayburn and a group of you people on horseback. The photo appears to be colorized. This is likely a photogaph of Sam Rayburn with the Bonham Quadrille, a Bonham, Texas riding club. Sam Rayburn rides a dark bay colored horse. He is at the center, right. To the left are two mounted young men wearing pink/red shirts and holding American flags. The group behind all sit atop horses. The group is divided into pairs, with each pair wearing similar clothing in colors of green, white, red, gold and blue. They all wear cowboy hats, chaps and boots. Sam Rayburn is wearing khaki pants, white button-down shirt, dark tie, and straw hat with black hatband.
Date: 1930/1960
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Photograph of man on beach

Photograph of a man standing on a beach. The black and white photo shows the man standing in the sand looking out upon the tide and the sky. The man, silhoutted against the brightness of the sky is wearing a brimmed fisherman's hat, wears a spyglass on a cord around his neck and wears a coat and pants and rubber boots. The photo includes the signature/maker's mark in the lower left corner that reads, "COPYRIGHT 1907 BY C.H. CLAUDY." The photo is framed with a stained and faded ivory mat.
Date: 1907
Creator: Carl H. Claudy
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gift Card to Sam Rayburn (open access)

Gift Card to Sam Rayburn

Printed gift card. The black text is printed on a thick piece of cardstock. The text of the gift card reads: "TO HON. SAM RAYBURN, THE COAST GUARD BILL WAS THE 'BREAK 'O DAY' FOR THE PATROLMENT OF THE U.S. LIFE SAVING SERVICE WITH THEIR GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF YOUR EFFORTS ON THEIR BEHALF"
Date: 1907
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History

Photograph of Abner Rayburn

Photograph of Abner Love Rayburn, Sam Rayburn's youngest sibling. Abner was born in Texas in 1891. He died in 1914. Sam Rayburn was grooming his brother Abner to become his secretary in Washington. Abner died of typhoid fever before this could happen. Abner is shown in this head and shoulders photo wearing a dark suit with bow tie and a white collared shirt. A formal, studio portrait, the photo is oval shaped and mounted to a cardboard backing with the studio name in the lower right corner, "THE ELLIOTS AUSTIN, TEX."
Date: 1887/1914
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Photograph of a young Abner Rayburn

Photograph of Abner Rayburn. The black and white photograph is of a young Abner Rayburn, possibly at age nine or ten (around 1900). He wears a dark, double breasted coat with a white collared shirt. The studio portrait shows Abner from the waist up. Abner was born in 1891, the youngest of Sam Rayburn's siblings and the only sibling born in Texas (the Rayburn family moved from Tennessee to Texas in 1887). He died in 1914 of typhoid fever.
Date: 1891/1914
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History
"In the Matter of Friendship" poem by Harry B. Hawes (open access)

"In the Matter of Friendship" poem by Harry B. Hawes

Print of a poem by Harry B. Hawes. Poem title: "In the Matter of Friendship." Printed on ivory colored paper in black ink. A facsimile of Hawe's signature is at the lower right of the printed poem. Hawes was a democrat from Missouri who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1921-1926. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1926-1933.
Date: 1869/1947
Creator: Harry B. Hawes
Object Type: Poem
System: The Portal to Texas History

Print of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia

Color print of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia. The color photo shows Monticello surrounded by green grass, flowers, trees and shrubs. This image shows the West Front entrance of the Monticello home.
Date: 1850/1969
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Image
System: The Portal to Texas History

Quote by Sid Richardson

Print of quote by Side Richardson. The quote is in black ink and is printed upon ivory colored paper. A map of Texas is in the middle and is surrounded by Texas-themed artwork. Blue bonnets decorate the lower right corner, a cowboy riding a "bucking bronc" with cacti in the background can be seen in the upper right corner. In the upper left corner is a long horn skull. The lower left corner is dominated by the images of oil derricks. An airplane is featured near the south part of the Texas map and is headed east as if towards St. Joseph (San Jose Island), which is the only location denoted on the map, where Richardson lived for several months out of each year. The colors of the print include brown, yellow, black, green, purple, blue, red and white.
Date: 1850/1969
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Artwork
System: The Portal to Texas History
Speech by Judge Learned Hand "Spirit of Liberty" (open access)

Speech by Judge Learned Hand "Spirit of Liberty"

Document with the most famous lines from Judge Learned Hand's speech from the "I Am An American Day" event which was held in New York City's Central Park on May 21, 1944. Hand spoke about the spirit of liberty and how it is found in our hearts, not in a physical location or within any documents. He became very well known for this speech and specifically this passage. The text is printed in black ink on cream colored paper. The text is framed by a thin, black decorative border.
Date: 1944/1961
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History