Manuscripts and Archives at the McCracken Research Library

The McCracken Research Library’s archives and manuscript collections consist of over three hundred collections containing primary research materials. These materials are available for research by appointment.

View the List of Library Collections

View the McCracken Research Library Digital Collections

Manuscript Collections

The manuscript collections contain unique, unpublished records created by organizations and individuals in the conduct of their activities. Letters, speeches, minutes, reports, writings, and other types of records document the history and culture of the American West, Wyoming, and Cody. Manuscripts represent diverse sources, such as pioneers and settlers, local citizens, industry leaders, western artists, naturalists, and major cultural figures.

Many manuscript collections have indices and inventories available at the Reference Desk in the Library. A few have electronic finding aids in PDF format.

Organizational Records

The collections also represent a variety of organizations, such as local advocacy groups or professional organizations. Gun and ammunition companies, such as Winchester, L.C. Smith and Schuyler, Hartley & Graham, are also documented by extensive correspondence, reports, financial records, and other material distinctive to their businesses.

Pictorial Collections

Photographic collections include a variety of materials, including photographs, slides, postcards, artworks and ephemera. The McCracken Archives includes over 500,000 documentary images. Such topics as Buffalo Bill and his Wild West show, Plains Indians, ranching, fishing and hunting industries, local history, the oil industry, cattle ranching, dude ranching and Yellowstone National Park are well represented.

Works include Wyoming photographers Charles Belden, Stan Kershaw, Jack Richard and F.J. Hiscock.

Examples of materials in this collection include black-and-white photographic prints and negatives, glass lantern slides, and 35mm film color slides, along with unusual and rare photographic formats, such as stereocards.

Selected images from the McCracken Research Library’s Photograph Collections are available in our Digital Collection.