Even Texas official State Historian has never seen original.
Texas Insider Report: SAN ANTONIO Texas The Victory or Death" letter written by William B. Travis is known by nearly all Texans. And one of its phrases
Victory or Death" which Lt. Col. Travis underlined three times endures as an unofficial Texas slogan. Yet the letter one of the most revered documents in Texas history has been
seen by only a few in recent years. If you lock something up forever and its
never seen by the citizenry it has little value"
says Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson of his plan for display to the pulic early next year.
Bill ONeal 70 the official Texas State Historian has never seen the original. And the letter has never returned to the Alamo where Lt. Col. Travis penned it on February 24 1836 as he and his outnumbered men faced the Mexican Army.
Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and the Texas General Land Office wants to change that by putting the letter on display at the Alamo for the 177th anniversary of the battle and siege celebrated from Feb. 23 through March 6 2013.
This dramatic arrival at the Alamo not being snuck back over there under the cover of darkness is what this project is about" said Patterson.
Since the early 1900s the letter has been publicly exhibited only seven times never back at the Alamo and outside Austin only three times between 1936 and 2006. The letter off limits to the public is kept in a secured storage area at the State Archives Building in Austin.
The
Texas State Library & Archives Commission is the custodian of the 1836 letter and is charged by the State to protect it.
But now it appears Pattersons idea to display the letter for two weeks at the Alamo in San Antonio next year not only poses a dilemma for its custodians but has even sparked a battle of its own.
Patterson has asked the Archives Commission for permission to transport the document from Austin to San Antonio in order to display it as part of the 177th anniversary of the battle at the Alamo.
We anticipate making this a news item to help make people aware of Texas history says Patterson.
Archive staff has however recommended not allowing the letter to be put on display because of security and exposure risks.
Light is our main concern with this document said Sarah Norris a conservationist.
In a controlled laboratory inside the Texas State Library & Archives building Norris recently brought the 170-year-old letter out of its safe in order to show a local Austin TV reporter how black ink on Travis letter has faded to brown and how the paper is deteriorating. Additional light exposure would further damage the document she said.
But Patterson whose General Land Office oversees the management of the Alamo has proposed numerous steps to secure and protect the letter.
It will be placed in a Mylar sleeve mounted between sheets of anti-reflective plexiglass placed in a crate and transported from
Austin to San Antonio by a fine arts shipper with an escort of state troopers. It will be displayed in a custom-built case specially designed to filter ultraviolet light.
Officers known as Alamo Rangers private security guards and plainclothes off-duty police officers will patrol or stand guard during the two weeks of display.
It will not be more secure than it will be at the Alamo says Land Office spokesman Mark Loeffler.
We feel strongly that people can be inspired by seeing Traviss original pen strokes Loeffler said. The extensive security and exposure measures proposed by the Land Office will cost nearly $100000 which would come from private contributions.
The enduring Victory or Death " slogan penned by Travis was even used by Gov. Rick Perry earlier this year as he campaigned for president.
The Texas State Library & Archives Commission is scheduled to meet later this month to further discuss the proposal.
