Harry Ransom Center

The collection that I viewed here is the Alice in Wonderland by Lewis C. Carroll. The collection I thought was amazing. It is not a bad place to view the collection they have on show. Over all, not my first place to view art work, unless they have a show going on that I am interested in.

The collection at the HRC is small by museum standards, but it’s filled with some really quality pieces. Lots of small water colors and oils on canvas; pastoral landscapes and studies of farm and wild animals. I was lucky enough to go when The Gutenberg Bible was being housed there. I feel very privileged to have been able to witness such a monumental piece of history.

Cool museum on UT’s campus that has amazing exhibits! I was recently there for the Gone with the Wind exhibit, and I’m hoping to make it back for the Alice in Wonderland exhibit!

What an amazing place! I stopped in here with a friend back in March to see the Alice in Wonderland exhibit and it was amazing. The Center has a very impressive collection and it was presented in a engaging manner. The Gutenberg Bible and the first permanent photograph in existence were just icing on the cake. Admission is free and it’s an amazing experience to view these artifacts. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in literature and history!

I went here with a group of people for a guided tour of the Alice in Wonderland exhibit. I had never heard of this place and was very pleasantly surprised. Our tour guide patiently and knowledgeably answered our many questions. The exhibit was very interesting. Now I have a new place for my parents to go next time they visit while I’m at work.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Alice in Wonderland exhibit at the Harry Ransom Center, even though it was not as large and expansive as the Gone with the Wind exhibit (so I’ve heard). The items on display were great to look through and read about, they had an interactive area, and little activity books and cards that you could use while making your way through the exhibit. One great plus is that the Harry Ransom Center also has a Gutenberg bible on display — a rare treat indeed! However, i would have to say that the center itself is quite small — I can only imagine how crowded it must have been when showcasing large expansive exhibits. Also, parking around the area is horrible since it’s mixed in with the UT campus (definitely opt to pay for parking in a nearby lot or the structure). Still, this is a good venue if you are interested in seeing historical items and viewing their exhibits. You can even make your way through the UT campus or dine in one of many restaurants up the street.

In procrastinating to see the Gone with The Wind exhibit earlier we went to see it on the last weekend on display. This was a collection donated to the HRC. But I did become a member a few weeks ago, but did not know I was able to see it before it was open to the general public. This place is free to the public. Turned out everyone was here to see it and was packed. Only the first floor has exhibits for viewing where all other stuff is store upstairs.
We parked at Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and walked here. When you walk in you are encountered with help desk and then the Gutenberg Bible and the First Photograph. The rest of the space is used for an exhibit including a small theater and down hallway see a painting done by Frida Kahlo.
It is a nice place but does not have a huge exhibit rooms like the Blanton or any other museum. The grounds outside are nice but tightly located on the campus of the University of Texas, and recommend visiting this place on weekend or when school is out.

OK, so I usually don’t venture to museums unless they’ve got something that piques my interest, and/​or if the cost is reasonable. As it turns out, I really had to look for something to do with my women friends who were coming down from Georgetown for the day.
…and this one fit the bill, though this rating is mostly for the «Making of Gone with the Wind».
In a nutshell, had it not been for the myriads of screen tests that they were showing in the theater, this exhibit prob had not been worth it for me, but for me personally, those old clips really rounded out the experience. We spent at least half an hour in the theater, and still hadn’t seen all of them, though since the museum was close to the end of day, we had to get our asses in gear to see the rest of the exhibit.
My favorite things gleaned out of the exhibit were the watercolor storyboards and black and white photographs, though they also had a handful of antebellum-​period dresses on display, which were movie costumes worn by Vivien Leigh (Scarlett).
Note that they also had myriads of documentation and correspondance surrounding David Selznick (the producer), and the movie studio.
The dresses were probably most everyone’s favorite display items, though, again, I was more happy with the watercolor storyboards.
Last of all, the «piece de resistance» was not the exhibit, but the Gutenburg Bible (on permanent display). Here is the center’s info on it —
The Bible was really crisp, clean, and in excellent condition, for having been printed in the year 1454.

First off, the UT campus has so many attractions and things to see, such as the Texas History Museum, the LBJ Presidential Library, the Ransom Museum and more. Do your research ahead of time, so you don’t have to go back and forth from home three times, like we did.
The Ransom museum was hosting a phenomenal exhibit about the making of the film «Gone With the Wind.» I was thrilled to see if on the second to last day. There is an «Alice in Wonderland» exhibit right on the heels of this one, which also sounded like it would be worth a visit. Check the website for guided tour times — admission is free, as are the tours, but a donation is appreciated.
It was breathtaking to see five dresses from Gone With the Wind (three original), and fascinating to learn about the historical context. The director kept everything… including a letter he received from the Ku Klux Klan, offering to consult on any historical accuracies, supply extras for the film, or to provide security for the set. Can you imagine?! It was a trip to see the Klan’s official stationary, but unnerving to think what it must have been like for someone who employs African Americans to receive such a request.
There were also some script notes for Clark Gable’s famous, «Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.» Due to new film regulations/​censors of the time, the scriptwriters were being strongly encouraged to work their way around the word «damn.» Some alternatives were, «I don’t give a hoot,» «I don’t give a straw,» and «That makes me go cold.»

A bit of a disappointment! It was interesting to see the few dresses that were displayed but very little info on their designer!!!
The most interesting part was reading the correspondence. A real insight into the movies making. But the curators decided to focus too much on some aspects of the movies makings and not enough on others.
It’s worth a trip, but then again I’ve seen documentaries on the movie which were better rounded and more informative.

You can’t beat a free museum. You just can’t.

Thanks to a friend who works on Campus, I was given a full tour and this was one of my favorite stops!
There are 3 must-​sees here, 2 of which are permanent displays:
–The Gutenberg Bible
–The First Photograph
–The Gone w/​the Wind Exhibit
The Gutenberg bible display is great and what a beautiful piece of preserved historical literature! They do a great job of enclosing the display case w/​the book from the entryway ruckus, but be warned, you may only get a minute or two, if that, to yourself to admire the work of art as it is a tight space and people are not shy about squeezing in on you to get their peek.
The First Photograph display is great as well! I actually had no idea UT even had this! The photograph itself is very small and super hard (if not impossible) to see up close. You have to stand back and admire it from afar and better yet, at an angle to make any discernible imagery out. The write-​up on it is very informative!
The Gone w/​the Wind exhibit was neat. I have not read the book or seen the movie, so I am not, by any means, an GWtW expert, but the exhibit had props from the set, some great info, a first edition, and there were showings of the original screen tests in the auditorium. They even had this cool board to post a «post-it“of your thoughts on the exhibit to be collected and archived daily.
Awesome on-​campus discovery, especially for the low low price of FREE!
Can’t wait to see their upcoming exhibit, Alice in Wonderland!

MAKING OF GONE WITH THE WIND REVIEW
If you haven’t ever been to the HRC this is the time to go. Even if you are a luke warm GWTW fan or have just seen the movie once. GO. I am a self confessed GWTW nerd or «Windy» as we like to be called. Don’t judge.
I live in Atlanta and flew to Austin just to see this exhibit. I had known for years that the HRC had the green velvet curtain dress. When I found out they may exhibit it I knew I had to go.
But there was so much more to this exhibit. Photos I have never seen. Trivia I got to learn. And the HRC does tours each day and those are wonderful. I went two days and enjoyed both tours. There is even a very detailed coffee table sized book with all of the info in it plus more (yes of course I bought it).
It is worth the flight and defiantly worth a drive if you live within 5 hours! And they have other small things like the original photograph, a Frida self portrait and a Guttenburg Bible. ;)

What a great place to visit. The HRC is located on the UT Campus and there is a parking garage right next to it.
They have one of the The Gutenberg Bible’s and the First Photograph always on display. The exhibits are changing throughout the year. The museum is really nice and kept up. The staff are super friendly and love having people come to visit. The exhibits are free but donations are accepted. They have tours of the exhibits at certain times that are also free.
I highly recommend coming here for all their exhibits. It’s fun, free and something to do and you can learn a lot.

This is not going to be your typical review of the Ransom Center, but… it makes for a fantastic photo backdrop. I’ve been using the exterior glass walls, walkways, etc. for years for everything from just-​for-​fun to bridal sessions. It looks imposing at night, and approachable by day.
I attended a special event here during my college years, and the inside is beautiful. I like the library ambiance and silence, the amazing collections we’re lucky to have in town, and the librarians are very helpful for any kind of research.

We stopped in to see the World War I exhibit happening this week. It was a very enlightening and superbly packaged exhibit with photographs, letters, posters, and tons of information. This smallish museum packs a punch with their exhibits. It’s FREE too!!!

Located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin (hook em horns). The Harry Ransom center is a very cool place to visit. It is a library, an archive, and museum.
I really had no plans to visit, but they had something that has profoundly changed each and everyone of our Worlds… namely the Gutenberg bible (
).
There are also many other very unique items on display. I actually got to see the first photograph ever made
There are a lot of things to do around campus and many places to eat and drink. So if you have time on your stay check it out.
I must also mention the employees at UT are amazingly nice, helpful and kind folks. Thank you!

This is a cute little free museum on the University of Texas campus. I saw a great photography exhibit there on a rainy Sunday.

Free museum! They have the Gutenberg Bible in the lobby, but it took a while for my boyfriend and I to realize it was in the middle of the entrance. The rest of the museum was kinda boring, but it was free, so heyyyy!

The Harry Ransom Center is currently hosting the Norman Bel Geddes exhibit, which is fantastic. Bel Geddes was a VERY futuristic artist and visionary, and many of his original designs are on display, but are leaving soon!
The HRC is on the Southwest corner of the UT campus, and is wonderful mainly because it’s free! If you’re on a low budget or interested in awesome free things in the downtown area, the HRC MUST be a stop for you.
Other than the Bel Geddes exhibit, the HRC is packed with other things that are worth the visit, including an original Gutenberg Bible! That alone made the visit worth it for me.
WARNING: Their hours are very strange… and they close pretty early in the day. Depending on the exhibit, it may not be open M-​F, but only certain days of the week.