Barbara Land

Barbara Land has been writing articles, newspaper columns, and books since she was fifteen years old. She is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism and recipient of a Pulitzer scholarship (1946) which enabled her to study and travel in Europe.

Barbara is married to Myrick (Mike) Land, who is also a graduate of Columbia University and a journalist and teacher.

Barbara is the author of a number of books for young people and non-fiction for adults. She and her husband have collaborated on several book projects, including Jungle Oil: The Search for Venezuela's Hidden Treasure and A Sierra Mosaic: Reno, Sparks, Lake Tahoe. In addition to writing books, Barbara has authored many articles and columns for various newspapers, the most recent being her columns about books for the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Scope and Content

The papers of Barbara Land were donated to the Special Collections Department in July, 1996 by Mrs. Land. The collection consists of two cubic feet of materials dating from 1957-1995; there are no restrictions on access.

The collection has been divided into three series: book manuscripts and galley proofs, published books, and articles for newspapers and magazines. Personal papers were not included in this gift.

The earliest materials in this collection consist of books written for young readers on non-fiction topics. Barbara's first book, Jungle Oil was based on information gathered while the Lands lived in Venezuela, where Mike helped establish a school of journalism at the University at Caracas from 1947-1948. Other book topics included telescope makers, the American south, Johannes Kepler, women explorers in Antartica, Las Vegas for children, and the Reno/Sparks/Lake Tahoe region.

Most recently, Barbara has written free-lance articles for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Her column reviewing books is a regular Sunday feature and often focuses on topics and authors of northern Nevada.

All three series have been arrange chronologically by publication date. Articles which appeared in newspapers have been photocopied for preservation and ease of use; the original newspapers are available if needed.

Processed by: Susan Searcy
Date: August 1, 1996

 

The papers of Barbara Land have been arranged into the following series:

1. Manuscripts and Galley Proofs
2. Published Books
3. Articles

 

Series 1. Manuscripts and Galley Proofs. 1968-1973. .25 cu. ft.

Included in this series are original manuscripts, with and without editor's marks, original illustrations, and galley proofs of two books: The Telescope Makers, and Evolution of a Scientist. The files are arranged in order of publication date.

Box 1

1/1-3 The Telescope Makers. Original manuscript with editor's marks. 1968.

1/4 The Telescope Makers.Original illustrations.

1/5 Evolution of a Scientist.Carbon of original manuscript. 1973.

1/6 Evolution of a Scientist. Galley proofs.

 

Series 2. Published Books. 1957-1994. .5 cu. ft.

Barbara Land's published books are non-fiction, some intended for young readers and others for adults. Those written in collaboration with Myrick Land are so noted. Arranged chronologically by date of publication.

Box 1

2/1 Jungle Oil: The Search for Venezuela's Hidden Treasure, by Myrick and Barbara Land. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1957.

2/2 The Changing South: New Riches for the Land of Cotton, by Myrick and Barbara Land. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1958.

2/3 The Quest of Johannes Kepler, Astronomer, by Barbara Land. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. Inc., 1963.

2/4 The Telescope Makers, From Galileo to the Space Age, by Barbara Land. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1968.

2/5 Evolution of a Scientist: the Two Worlds of Theodosius Dobzhansky, by Barbara Land. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1973.

2/6 The New Explorers: Women in Antarctica, by Barbara Land. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1981.

2/7 A Sierra Mosaic: Reno, Sparks, Lake Tahoe, by Barbara and Myrick Land. Memphis, TN: Towery Publishing, Inc., 1994.

 

Series 3. Articles. 1960-1995. .25 cu. ft.

Barbara Land has written extensively for a number of magazines and newspapers. This series contains copies of those articles and is arranged first by the name of the publication and then chronologically within each title.

Box 1

3/1 "Dr. Paul Siple...Polar Expert," by Barbara Land, in Science World,1, no. 1 (September 14, 1960): 14, 22.

3/2 "The Quest for Longer, Healthier Life" by Barbara Land, in UNR Frontiers, Spring 1986: 1-5.

3/3 "Main Street Success Stories" by Barbara Land, in America West Airlines Magazine, April 1993: 40-44.

3/4 "Seven Decades on the Silver Screen" by Barbara Land, in America West Airlines Magazine, May 1993: 46-51.

3/5 "Buried Treasures" by Barbara Land, in America West Airlines Magazine, June 1993: 42-46.

3/6 "Nesting in Nevada" by Barbara Land, in America West Airlines Magazine, Sept. 1993: 32-46.

3/7 "Family Ties" by Barbara Land, in America West Airlines Magazine, March 1994: 56-59; "Community Spirit" by Barbara Land, in America West Airlines Magazine, March 1994: 60-62.

3/8 "Clean Machines" by Barbara Land, in America West Airlines Magazine, May 1994: 32-34.

3/9 Certificate for 2nd place, 1996 Communications Contest, National Federation of Press Women.

3/10 Articles by Barbara Land in the Reno Gazette-Journal, Sept. 27, 1983 - Dec. 18, 1988.

3/11 Articles by Barbara Land in the Reno Gazette-Journal, Mar. 30, 1989 - Dec. 31, 1990.

3/12 Articles by Barbara Land in the Reno Gazette-Journal, Jan. 20, 1991 - Nov. 13, 1994.

3/13 Articles by Barbara Land in the Reno Gazette-Journal, April 2, 1995 - Dec. 17, 1995; not dated.

Manuscripts | Special Collections

Please direct questions to Jacquelyn Sundstrand
Updated August 11, 2008