Harry Ransom Center

A research library turned cultural showplace
Noteworthy for: From Scarlett O'Hara's dresses to Jack Kerouac's notebook, this University of Texas institution chronicles a broad swath of cultural history.

The Harry Ransom Center's rare books collection started in 1897 with a Swedish immigrant's donation of 10,000 volumes, then experienced explosive growth in the 1960s under the leadership of English professor Harry Ransom, who grew it to an incredible two million volumes.
The center also acquired rough manuscripts, correspondence, and galley proofs, with the goal of advancing the scholarly study of writers. The jewel of the collection is an original Gutenberg Bible, but more recent acquisitions of note include Norman Mailer's archive and the Woodward and Bernstein Watergate papers.

In the last 20 years, the Ransom expanded its collecting efforts to include all manner of cultural artifacts, from stage sets to costumes. A 2003 renovation created more space for public display of the library's treasures. Now, visitors can see early Shakespeare manuscripts as well as the bomber jacket worn by Robert DeNiro in 'Taxi Driver'.