Rotating Exhibits

Education in Dallas

Dallas has seen its share of educational institutions - some with long and storied traditions that continue today and others that lasted only a few short years. Some of these, like St. Mary's College and Jefferson University, folded during the hard economic times of the Great Depression while vocational and technical schools thrived during the postwar boom of WWII. Learn about a few legendary as well as unsung educational institutions that dotted Dallas's historical landscape through yearbooks, postcards, letters, brochures and photographs. The exhibition will be on display in the 7th floor reading room until the end of June.

Permanent Exhibits

Scene on the Brazos

The "Dean of Texas Artists," Frank Reaugh (pronounced "ray"), came to Texas with his parents in 1876. As his family made the trek from Jacksonville, Illinois to Terrell, Texas, Reaugh passed the time by sketching the sights. While formally trained at St. Louis School of Fine Arts and Académie Julian in Paris, Reaugh found his artistic expression through the landscapes and animals of the Southwest - especially the Texas longhorn. Thus, the "Painter of the Longhorn" was born. Reaugh was a firm believer in making art avail=1able for public viewing. Shortly after he settled in Oak Cliff in 1890, he worked with civic and cultural leaders to create forums for the public display of art. When the Carnegie Library was built in 1901, Reaugh thought this institution made a perfect venue for public art. He convinced library officials to create an Art Room in the new public library. The Art Room was to display works from various artists in a variety of media, with the expressed purpose of making art accessible and free to the public. He started the art collection by donating his painting, Scene on the Brazos.

More special collections exhibits (Fine Books Division) - click here