Graphic works sub-inventory for R. Lee Clark, MD papers

R. Lee Clark (1906-1994) was a founder of the Medical Center and specifically of UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. His collection, MS 070, is filled with valuable information and is one of our most heavily-used assets.

It is also one of our biggest–the record tells me it’s 420 cubic feet, or 816 boxes. If you’re wondering what that looks like, it is a literal wall of boxes.

Also, it’s still organized in our older system of Collection > Series > Box > Folder, which can lead to some confusion in inventories of very large collections because if what you want is in box 28, you have to scroll back to see if it’s Series III, Box 28 or Series VIII, Box 28 or Series X, Box 28.

To make specialized searching a little easier we’ve created a sub-inventory that lists graphic works: Photographs, articles with illustrations, artwork, and charts.

The Clark graphic works sub-inventory can be viewed here on our website.

Since we spent all that time searching the finding aid for graphic works, confirming that there were, in fact, graphic works in the folders listed, and updating format and descriptive information, we thought we deserved to have a little fun by scanning a few of them to share on the blog.

Here is Dr. Clark with interviewer N. Don Macon (MS070 Series III, Box 112, folder 6):

Macon did extensive interviews on lots of Texas Medical Center personnel. The McGovern Historical Center has both recordings and transcripts of a lot of his TMC work. Thank you for Dr. Bryant Boutwell for bringing this image to our attention.

 

 

Army Hospital Tent, 1945 (MS070 Series II, Box 9, folder 17):

Dr. Clark was in the US Army Medical Corps during World War II. This image, which I assume is staged since it’s pristine and carefully-lit, but is still interesting, is of a well-equipped Army medical tent.

 

Clark and someone else on the grounds of the Baker Estate, circa 1949 (MS070 Series VIII, Box 58, folder 1):

The Baker Estate was the first home of MD Anderson Cancer Hospital. Clark is here in front of the laboratory building with the house in the background.

What is now UT MD Anderson Cancer Center is IC 014 at the McGovern Historical Center.

Captain James A. Baker (1857-1941) was an attorney and banker and an associate of William Marsh Rice. He left “The Oaks” to Rice University, which sold it to the Cancer Hospital. He was credited with solving Rice’s 1900 murder and defending his will against a forgery. His papers are held by the Woodson Research Center at Rice University.

 

Baker Estate, before (MS070 Series X, Box 29, folder 6):

The stables-turned-laboratory from the previous image under reconstruction, circa 1948.

 

Baker Estate, after (MS070 Series X, Box 29, folder 6):

. . . and that’s what the laboratory building looked like when it was completed. There are also a few shots of the interior, which was extremely plain and painted white.

 

MD Anderson Cancer Hospital, circa 1958 (MS070 Series VIII, Box 188, folder 3):

This is the hospital’s second home–it’s still there, buried under decades of additions. It opened in 1954 but you can tell from the cars that this is a few years later. The big dark-colored car to the left of the no-parking sign is a 1958 Buick.

 

Check out this sweet little 1950 Studebaker Champion.

 

Patients being wheeled into the new hospital, 1954 (MS070 Series VIII, Box 185, folder 5):

Patients being wheeled on gurneys into the new Cancer Hospital. Note the distinctive swirly stone on the exterior walls.

 

“First cobalt unit”, circa 1954 (MS070 Series VIII, Box 185, folder 7):

If you want more information on the particulars of cobalt-60-based gamma ray therapy you’ll need to ask someone else, but this was apparently the Cancer Hospital’s first cobalt unit. This is part of a large series of images that we think might have been a tour when the 1954 building first opened.

 

The Cancer Hospital’s inner workings, circa 1954 (MS070 Series VIII, Box 58, folder 6):

There are a lot of slides of what might be described as the bowels of the hospital, but unfortunately little to no documentation of what they are. This might be part of the laundry?

 

Nurse paging a patient (MS070 Series VIII, Box 188, folder 4):

It’s fun to see pictures of little everyday things. This collection suffered some water damage during Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, when the Texas Medical Center Library archives were stored in the street level, which is about half underground, of the Jesse Jones library building. The archives have been in a warehouse near the South Loop, well above ground, since 2002. This photo was apparently housed next to something blue.

 

Nurse wields a Geiger counter next to transport van (MS070 Series VIII, Box 188, folder 4):

I think this might be part of a series of images of a large, um, apparatus, of some sort being unloaded from a truck. I have to wonder here what the van driver thought of all this.

 

Unspecified event, possibly the grand opening, circa 1954 (MS070 Series VIII, Box 188, folder 4):

A Red Cross nurse serves drinks to some people with much better fashion sense than mine.

 

People in costumes (MS070 Series VIII, Box 189, folder 1):

There were apparently plays put on either to entertain patients as the audience, or entertain patients as the actors, or maybe both? Alas, these also have no documentation.

Centurions.

 

Resisting the devil. This looks like a pretty sophisticated set! The woman’s arm posture makes me wonder if this involved dance.

 

. . . I’m sure animal costumes seemed like a good idea at the time but this feels a bit ominous.

 

Cleaning the halls, circa 1950s (MS070 Series VIII, Box 188, folder 3):

This is part of a large set of photos that were rejected for use in a history of the first twenty years of MD Anderson. This one was apparently considered since it’s been edited.

 

“Volunteer ham radio operator who used to send messages to patients’ home town[s]”, 1950s (MS070 Series VIII, Box 185, folder 7):

Another one that didn’t quite make it into the book. It did not fare well in TS Allison but it’s still a fun bit of history.

 

Truman Blocker, circa 1980 (MS070 Series XIV, Box 1, folder 23), surgeon and educator for whom UTMB Galveston’s archives and rare book collections at the Moody Medical Library are named.

 

Franz Enzinger and Wataru Sutow, 1976 (MS070 Series XIV, Box 1, folder 23):

Franz Enzinger was a notable Austrian pathologist and Wataru Sutow was a pediatric oncologist who worked for the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission and then later for MD Anderson Cancer Hospital. Sutow is Manuscript Collection 035 here at the McGovern Research Center. A number of ABCC physicians and researchers also worked for the Cancer Hospital because of their familiarity with the effects of radiation.

One of the funny things about working here–and probably in a lot of other institutions–is that you get really used to seeing pictures of people like Clark, Blocker, and Sutow and they start to seem like distant uncles.

 

Last but not least . . .

 

Fluffy contemplates the meaning of life, September 1974 (MS070 Series VIII, Box 409, folder7):

This kitten’s name wasn’t given but “Fluffy” seems appropriate. And she might just have been reconsidering her choice of bed linens. We do know, though, that the world has never been able to resist a cute cat. This is one of many personal and travel photos, but I’m not sure where it was taken.

Also not to be overlooked: This is in box 409. Of a single series. I told you this collection was big.