Overview of the Collection
Robert E. Nail, Jr. Archives
Old Jail Art Center201 S. 2nd St.Albany, TX 76430
Fort Griffin Fandangle Association
Fort Griffin Fandangle Collection
1938-2005
10 boxes, 4.5 cubic feet
Publicity, i.e. newsprint articles, magazine articles, unpublished written articles, programs, brochures, broadsides, photographs, sheet music, business records, ephemera, scrapbooks, and assorted material of marginal relevance documenting the 68 year history of the community produced and performed Fort Griffin Fandangle.
AR.2003.002
The records are in English.
Biographical Note
The Fort Griffin Fandangle is a historical pageant written, directed, costumed, sung and danced by Albany citizens. Robert E. Nail, Jr. wrote the Fandangle in 1938 while teaching at Albany High School. The historical play was conceived as an outdoor alternative to the traditional senior play. It was originally titled "Dr. Shackelford's Paradise." As the play grew in size, the name was changed as the undertaking incorporated more history than that of the settling of Shackelford County.
The Fandangle has been performed fairly consistently for the past 68 years. The Fandangle was retired during World War II because writer-director Robert Nail was serving his country in the armed services, as were many of the other Fandangle personnel. The Fandangle was revived in 1947 and ran through 1957. For a number of reasons, the Fandangle was not performed again until 1964 when the West Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation contracted with Robert Nail to bring the Fandangle to Canyon, Texas, to open the new outdoor amphitheatre in Palo Duro Canyon. The people of Albany who saw and were in the show came home determined to reinstate the Fandangle in Albany.
Each year the Fandangle tells a difference story, attempting to portray with each show various phases of pioneer life. Stories in the past have been about Prairie Land, about a pioneer couple, about Fort Griffin, about ranching, the cowboy, early journalists, and the pioneer woman.
For more information visit the Fort Griffin Fandangle Web Site.
Scope and Contents
Publicity materials including newspaper articles, magazine articles, brochures, programs, and broadsides make up the bulk of the Fandangle Collection. The Collection also includes photographs, original sheet music, lyric sheets, business records such as Fandangle Association financial statements, one legal document, ephemera, scrapbooks, and assorted material of marginal relevance.
Arrangement
The Collection is divided into six sections: Publicity, Photographs, Music, Business Records, Ephemera, and Assorted.
Index Terms
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Persons:
Robert E. Nail, Jr. (1908-1968)
Graham Crutchfield (1889-1958)
Alice Reynolds
Organizations:
Fort Griffin Fandangle Association Albany Chamber of Commerce
Places:
Albany, TexasFort Griffin, Texas
Subjects:
Fort Griffin FandangleFort Griffin
Newspaper Articles
Publicity
Photographs
Ephemera
Legal Records
Business Records
Scrapbook
Restrictions on Access
Open to the Public
Alternative Form Available
Fort Griffin Fandangle Collection Finding Aid -
Raw XML
Acquisition Information
AR.2003.002
Detailed Description of the Collection
Publicity,
1938-2005
Newspaper Articles,
1938-2005; undated
1
1
undated
1
2
1938
1
3
1940s-1950s
1
4
1961-1966
1
5
1967
1
6
1968
1
7
1969
1
8
1970
1
9
1971
1
10
1972
1
11
1973
1
12
1974
1
13
1975
1
14
1976
1
15
1977
1
16
1978
1
17
1979
1
18
1980
1
19
1981
1
20
1982
1
21
1983
1
22
1984
1
23
1985
1
24
1986
1
25
1987
1
26
1988
1
27
1991-1998
1
28
2000s
Magazine Articles,
1968-2000
3
1
Fort Griffin Fandangle, 2 copies,
1965
3
1
Connecting Rod, 2 copies,
June, 1966
3
1
Texas Clubwoman,
May, 1967
3
1
Electric Times, West Texas Utilities, 2 copies,
June, 1967
3
1
Lawyers Title News, 2 copies,
September, 1967
3
2
Southern Living,
June, 1968
3
2
Texas Parade, 2 copies,
May, 1970
3
2
A People's Theatre, 2 copies,
1970
3
3
Texas Highways, 2 copies,
June, 1974
3
3
This is West Texas,
May/June, 1986
3
3
TRAVELHOST,
June, 1993
3
3
Texas County Progress,
February, 2000
Programs,
1938-2005
2
1
Programs,
1938; 1948; 1965
9
Newspaper Programs (deacidified)
1940; 1947(2copies); 1949; 1950; 1952; 1953; 1955; 1957; 1963(Sampler(2 copies)); 1964(Sampler(2 editions)); 1965(Sampler); 1965-1968; 1968(Sampler); 1970(Sampler; 1970; 1971(Sampler(2 editions)): 1971; 1972(Sempler); 1973-1992; 1994; 1996; 1998; 2004; 2005
11
Albany News Fandangle Souvenir Section,
1978-1979; 1981-1988; 1990-1996; 1998B; 2001; 2004-2005
2
2
Unpublished Written Works,
1947-1965; undated
4
Fandangle Brochures,
1940-1996; undated
5
Fandangle Broadsides,
1952-1971; undated
Photographs,
1939-1988; undated
6
LBJ Ranch Photographs,
1967
7
Fort Griffin Fandangle Photographs,
mostly undated
8
Fort Griffin Fandangle Photographs,
1939-1988; undated
Music,
1966; undated
2
3
Fort Griffin Fandangle Songbook,
1966
2
4
Lyric Sheets,
1964-1967; undated
2
5
Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies, Score and Parts,
undated
2
6
Let's Settle in This Country, Score and Parts,
undated
2
7
Love Hovers Over YouScore,
undated
2
8
Prairie Land, Score and Parts,
undated
2
9
Remember When, Score and Parts,
undated
2
10
Think of Me Now and Then, Score and Parts,
undated
2
11
The Town of Fort Griffin, Score and Parts,
undated
2
12
Trail to Mexico, Score and Parts,
undated
2
13
Windmill, Six Bright Flags, Texas Stetson, You Can't Change Them Ways, Ranch on a Branch, Parts,
undated
Business Records,
1940-1991; undated
2
14
Business Records,
1961-1991; undated
2
15
Correspondence,
1940; 1981
2
16
State of Texas Certification of Operation - Boiler Division,
1985-1986
2
17
Fandangle Association Land Lease Agreement,
6/25/1966
Scrapbooks,
1938-1957
10
Fandangle Scrapbook,
1938-1952
10
Fandangle Scrapbook,
1940-1957
Ephemera,
1949; 1967; 1970; undated
3
4
Ephemera,
1949; 1967; 1970; undated
Assorted Material of marginal relevance,
1976-1998
3
5
Assorted Material of marginal relevance,
1976-1998