I’ve been working in President Houston’s papers these days. This is a collection I haven’t used much since I was in graduate school way back in the 90s and it has proven to be a pleasant surprise. Houston has never really gotten his due here, which is partly my fault but also partly just because his tenure fell in between the consequential eras of Lovett and Pitzer. Anyway, in an attempt to correct this neglect I’m actually working ahead on a couple of posts about him but I’ll start with this mystery: who is the visitor? He looks familiar but I can’t quite place him. I’d guess he’s someone important just because they bothered to take photographs, which in the days before everyone carried cell phones took some effort.
Also — look at that telephone!
Bonus: These oak galls are numbered!
