Descriptive Summary
Fiesta San Antonio Collection
1897-2007
Materials are in English.
DRT 3
7.5 linear feet (2 document boxes, 3 oversize boxes)
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas
Fiesta San Antonio originated with an 1891 celebration staged to commemorate events of the Texas Revolution. A parade, which became the annual Battle of Flowers parade, was joined in following years by other events, under several organizations. The overall celebration became Fiesta San Jacinto, under the Fiesta San Jacinto Association. The name was changed under a reorganization in 1959, placing the event under a new umbrella entity, the Fiesta San Antonio Commission.
The Fiesta San Antonio collection gathers material from various sources, all related to the annual San Antonio, Texas, celebration. Included are invitations, programs, clippings, other printed material, and artifacts.
Historical Note
Fiesta San Antonio had its origins in an 1891 celebration staged to commemorate the events of the Texas Revolution, particularly the Battle of San Jacinto. The first event consisted of a parade and flower battle, which became the annual Battle of Flowers parade.
A number of organizations formed over time to manage portions of the event, including the Battle of Flowers Association, which oversees the parade; the Order of the Alamo, which selects and stages the coronation of Fiesta royalty; and the Texas Cavaliers, which selects a Fiesta King and stages the River Parade. Numerous other organizations such as the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, San Antonio Conservation Society, and the League of United Latin American Citizens also participate.
The Fiesta San Jacinto Association was formed 1913 to coordinate the various activities. Dissension within that organization led to a reorganization in 1959, when the Fiesta San Antonio Commission became the new umbrella entity.
Scope and Content Note
The Fiesta San Antonio Collection is an artificial collection created by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library to gather together original material associated with the annual San Antonio, Texas, event. The collection consists primarily of printed ephemera and artifacts associated with specific Fiesta San Antonio events, including invitations, programs, tickets, newspapers, and clippings.
The collection is arranged by document type. The most extensive items are invitations and programs. Invitations include oversize items issued by the Fiesta San Jacinto Association and, later, the Fiesta San Antonio Commission. These are illustrated and usually include an essay on the Battle of the Alamo or the history of Fiesta. Other invitations are associated with some of the organizations that sponsor Fiesta events, including the Battle of Flowers Association, Order of the Alamo, and Texas Cavaliers.
Programs include small brochures containing a list of events and souvenir programs for the entire celebration. Items associated with the various organizations are also found here and include a number of programs and souvenir programs for the coronation of Fiesta royalty, organized by the Order of the Alamo.
Artifacts produced by the participating organizations and as general mementoes include badges, medals, ribbons, and fans.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions. The collection is open for research.
Usage Restrictions
Please be advised that the library does not hold the copyright to most of the material in its archival collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure those rights when needed. Permission to reproduce does not constitute permission to publish. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright, literary property rights, and libel.
Related Material
Several collections at the DRT Library and other repositories document the history of Fiesta and various events held in conjunction with it, including:
Battle of Flowers Association (San Antonio, Tex.) Records, 1895-, Col 6848, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Ralph H. Durkee Fiesta San Jacinto Papers, 1925-1952, Doc 7830, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Reynolds Andricks Fiesta Scrapbooks and Photographs, 1935-1977, Col 7674, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Order of the Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.) Records, 1909-1990, Col 6096, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Fiesta San Antonio Commission Records, 1898, 1926-2005, MS 30, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Fiesta San Antonio Collection, 1897-2007, DRT 3, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Acquisition Information
Materials were donated by various individuals and gathered by staff at the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library. This is an artificial collection.
Processing Information
Processed by Warren Stricker, 1997 April.
Finding aid edited and encoded by Caitlin Donnelly, 2010 November.
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
Index Terms
Organizations
Battle of Flowers Association (San Antonio, Tex.)
Order of the Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.)
Texas Cavaliers (San Antonio, Tex.)
Subjects
Fairs and fiestas--Texas--San Antonio.
Fiesta San Antonio (San Antonio, Tex.)
Locations
San Antonio (Tex.)--Social life and customs.
Genres/Formats
Badges.
Invitations.
Medals.
Newspapers.
Printed ephemera.
Souvenir programs.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Fiesta San Antonio Collections, 1897-2007
1
Proclamations, 1940 and 1941
1
Invitations, 1904-1995
1
San Antonio Spring Carnival and Battle of Flowers, 1904
Fiesta San Jacinto, oversize invitations (with illustration and artist), 1935-1960
Oversize 1
1935 (The Alamo by P. L. Hohnstedt; 2 copies)
Oversize 1
1936 (William Barret Travis by H. D. Pohl; 3 copies)
Oversize 1
1937 (David Crockett by Harry Anthony DeYoung; 4 copies)
Oversize 1
1938 (James Bowie by Frederick W. Becker; 4 copies)
Oversize 1
1939 (James Bonham by Harry Anthony DeYoung; 5 copies)
Oversize 1
1940 (Dr. Amos Pollard by Harry Anthony DeYoung; 3 copies)
Oversize 1
1941 (Mrs. Susan Dickerson by Harry Anthony DeYoung; 3 copies)
Oversize 1
1946 (Jacob C. Darst by Warren Hunter; 3 copies)
Oversize 1
1947 (Tapley Holland by Warren Hunter; 4 copies)
Oversize 1
1948 (John W. Smith by Warren Hunter; 3 copies)
Oversize 1
1949 (Major Robert Evans by James Frazer; 3 copies)
Oversize 2
1950 (Micajah Autry by John Francis Lewis; 7 copies)
Oversize 2
1951 (Gregorio Esparza by Cecil Lang Casebier; 6 copies)
Oversize 2
1952 (Green B. Jameson by James L. Frazer; 5 copies)
Oversize 2
1953 (William Barret Travis by Ruth Conerly Zachrisson; 5 copies)
Oversize 2
1954 (The Alamo by P. L. Hohnstedt; 6 copies)
Oversize 2
1955 (The Alamo by Herbert Barnard; 8 copies)
Oversize 2
1956 (The Alamo, photograph; 6 copies)
Oversize 2
1957 (The Alamo, photograph; 2 copies)
Oversize 2
1958 (The Alamo by P. L. Hohnstedt; 2 copies)
Oversize 2
1959 (The Alamo by Herbert Barnard)
Oversize 2
1960 (The Alamo by P. L. Hohnstedt; 3 copies)
1
Fiesta San Jacinto, 1955
Oversize 2
Fiesta San Antonio Commission, The Alamo by P. L. Hohnstedt, 3 copies, 1960
1
Fiesta San Antonio Commission, 1961
1
Pilgrimage to the Alamo, 1942-1995 and undated
1
Battle of Flowers Association events, 1980
1
Order of the Alamo events, 1967
1
Queen of Soul, 1979
1
San Antonio Conservation Society events, 1979
1
Texas Cavaliers events, 1959-1964
1
Programs, 1927-2007
1
General schedules, 1941 and 1961
1
Fiesta programs, 1940-2007
1
Fiesta souvenir programs, 1952-1984
1
Battle of Flowers Association Parade, 1941, 2001, and 2007
1
Battle of Flowers Association Fete, 1937 and 1948
1
Battle of Flowers Association Pageant, 1955
1
Corny-ation, 1956 and 1957
1
Order of the Alamo Coronation, 1928-1977
1
Order of the Alamo souvenir programs, 1927-1996
1
Texas Cavaliers River Pageant, 1950 and 1963
1
Texas Cavaliers Tournament of the Roses, 1928 and 1929
1
Dance cards, 1914
1
Tickets
Oversize 3
Newspapers and clippings, 1897-1985
Oversize 3
San Antonio Express Magazine, 1948 April 25
Oversize 3
North San Antonio Times, 1978 April 20 and 1985 April 25
Oversize 3
North San Antonio Times/Northwest Times, 1976 April 22 and 1977 April 21
Oversize 3
Clippings, 1897-1978
1
Miscellaneous printed material
Artifacts, 1941-2007
Battle of Flowers Association
2
Buttons, 2006-2007
Oversize 3
Fans, 2006-2007
2
Necklaces, 2005-2007
2
Fiesta San Jacinto Association
2
Officer’s badges, 1941, 1946, and 1948
2
Order of the Alamo
2
Medals, circa 2000-2007
Oversize 3
Ribbons
Texas Cavaliers
2
King Antonio medals, 1963-2006
2
Souvenir badges and medals
2
Alamo, 2002-2007
2
Fiesta San Jacinto, 1958
2
Gloria L. Ray, 2001