Did you know?

In addition to La Cocina Histórica, UTSA Libraries Special Collections also publishes The Top Shelf, a blog that shares the stories of materials from across all our collections. Below are a few highlights from the past year. Check The Top Shelf for new posts every Monday.

San Antonio’s Drag Culture of the 1930s and 40s

“MY, OH MY! WHAT A SHOW!” A 1949 advertisement for the Gay Paree touted the “Boys will be Girls” revue which enjoyed a long run at the nightclub. Female im-personators drew in the crowds providing patrons a glimpse into the exotic world of gender-bending gay per-formance. Gay Paree was one of several nightclubs lo-cated in the heart of the River City that drew famous female impersonators from around the country. read more >>>

Richter’s Bakery: A San Antonio Original

William Louis Richter arrived in San Antonio from Virginia, by way of Frederickburg, Texas, in 1879. He got a job as the pastry chef at the Menger Hotel and moonlighted at Solcher’s Bakery, where he and the owner’s daughter, Emma Solcher, fell in love. Will and Emma were wed on July 25, 1882 and a week later opened their own bakery with a $200 loan from Emma’s father. read more >>>

Home on the Range, Where the Deer and the…Camels Play?

Travel in the American West was a critical challenge during the mid-19th century, both for civilian and military populations. The first transcontinental route was not completed until the 1860s, and even then many destinations off the main routes required travel by wagon, by horse, or by foot. In the 1850s, Jefferson Davis obtained $30,000 to acquire camels (known for their endurance and ability to travel with limited water) for use by the U.S. military. Approximately seventy-five camels were settled at Camp Verde, sixty miles northwest of San Antonio. read more >>>