Title:
Texas tourism films and audiotapes
Description:
The Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation (TSDHPT) was responsible for the building and maintenance of Texas roads and highways and for developing public mass transportation in state from 1975 to 1991. The agency was formed in 1975 when the Texas legislature merged the Texas Highway Department and the Texas Mass Transportation Commission into this single agency. The Travel and Information Division under TSDHPT and the Texas Highway Department promoted travel to and within the state and Texas tourism. The division produced several tourism films, including Texas, America's Funtier, which received a certificate of excellence in the 1970 Sunset Travel Film Festival; and Law West of the Pecos, a film still shown at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center in Langtry, Texas. Records in this series consist of 11 film projects, dating 1965-1966, 1969-1970, 1972-1973, 1975, 1977-1985, and are comprised of 16mm motion pictures and motion picture components, including work prints, camera original footage, negatives, and internegatives as well as magnetic and optical sound tracks; a 35mm work print; and 0.25-inch open reel audiotapes. Titles that were available through the division's film lending library include Festival Time in Texas, described as "A light-hearted romp through more than a dozen events where Texans congregate for fun. It captures the exuberance of celebrating Cajuns, the belting rhythm of deep soul music, fiery Mexican fiestas, and lots of down home entertainment where guitars and fiddles are king."Missions of Texas, narrated by actor Ricardo Montalban that tells the "story of 10 missions from El Paso to the Piney Woods, built by the Indians and missionaries in the late 1700's," and Texas - Live the Legend, "frontier history, recreational activities and diverse cultures are portrayed against backdrops of scenic splendor and living heritage" (a book with the same title was also released in 1981). These film projects, along with Texas, America's Funtier and Texas, Land of Contrast include more than one finished print. Texas, Land of Contrast has both an English and Spanish version, while Texas - Live the Legend had versions of varying lengths that were printed for distribution.
Collection:
Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation Travel and Information Division films and audiotapes. Archives and Information Services Division
Creator:
Texas. Travel and Information Division
Date range of creation:
1965 to 1985
Citation information:
(Identify the item), Texas tourism films and audiotapes, Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation Travel and Information Division films and audiotapes. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Arrangement:
These records are arranged by film project and then by reel number.
Copyright information:
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Access restrictions:
To view the films or listen to the sound tracks not currently available through the Texas Digital Archive, please contact State Archives staff. Researcher access to 16mm film and audio is dependent upon first arranging to transfer that outdated media to more contemporary media, at the researcher's expense.
Size or duration:
15.68 cubic ft. (211 motion picture components, 27 motion pictures, and 1 open reel audiotape)