Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
University of Texas
About
The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center on the University of Texas campus is a cultural hub for U.S., British and French literature. Though its development began in 1897 with the gift of a 10,000-volume library from Swedish book collector Swante Palm, the center got its official start in 1958. The free museum/research center holds 36 million pages of manuscripts, 1 million rare books, 5 million photographs, and 100,000 works of art. Step into the lobby for a look at the Gutenberg Bible, as well as the first successful permanent photograph. These permanent displays share space in the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center with an array of touring exhibitions. Also a part of the archive: Edgar Allan Poe's writing desk, Jack Kerouac's journal written in preparation for On the Road and the personal library of Ezra Pound. Other nearby museums include the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
