Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Union Pacific research notes
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Union Pacific research notes
- Date
- 1938 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Calvin, Frank
- Extent
- 0.05 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Research.
- Film-making (Motion pictures).
- Motion pictures -- Production and direction.
- Motion pictures.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0893: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Union Pacific research notes, 1938, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Union Pacific is a 1939 film directed by Cecil B. DeMille based on the novel Trouble Shooter by Ernest Haycox. The film focuses on the building of the Union Pacific railroad across the American West and stars Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea. The research for the film was conducted by Frank Calvin (1898-1972), son of retired Union Pacific Railroad president Edgar Eugene Calvin (1858-1938) and husband of Cecil's daughter, Cecilia (1908-1984), since 1930. The research notes were condensed and indexed by Waldo Twitchell (1887-1964), a technical advisor and researcher for many films.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Union Pacific research notes (dated 1938; 0.05 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises one condensed and indexed version of the research notes compiled by Frank Calvin in 1938 for the film Union Pacific, directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The research notes include information on the style of clothing and uniforms worn by men and women during the 1860s, what foods were eaten, types of businesses operating then, how different communities interacted with each other, what interactions with Native Americans were had by Union Pacific employees, the different communities that worked on the railroads, what forms of communication were utilized, and significant historical details that would lend credibility to DeMille's efforts to make a movie based on historical facts.
- The Union Pacific research notes collection is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Union Pacific research notes, 1938
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
