The McArdle Notebooks > Dawn at the Alamo
Dawn at the Alamo and The Battle of San Jacinto became Henry McArdle's legacy. The painstaking detail of the paintings was reflected in his exhaustive research. When the state of Texas finally settled with McArdle's heirs to purchase the paintings for $25,000 in 1927 (19 years after the artist's death), they also received his papers. Ruskin McArdle, the son of the artist, had compiled his father's massive research and had it bound into two huge ledgers, one for each of the paintings. In 1929, he gave these ledgers to the state for deposit in the Texas State Library. Officially entitled, "McArdle Companion Battle Paintings," they became known simply as the "McArdle Notebooks."
Packed with letters, notes, and photographs, the McArdle Notebooks are among the most historically significant treasures of the Texas State Library and Archives. This web site is designed to make these fragile rarities available for both the serious researcher and for the general public.
Introduction | The Notebooks
The Paintings | The Artist
How to Use This Site | About the Digitization
Other online exhibits from the Texas State Library and Archives