A selection of the memoirs, journals, letters, reports and images that went into the making of THE WEST

This section of New Perspectives on THE WESTprovides a library of primary source materials on the history of the American West, reflecting the five years' research that went into the production of THE WEST. Included are the full texts of many memoirs, journals, diaries, letters, autobiographies and other documents excerpted in the television series, together with a selection from the thousands of archival photographs and other images gathered for the project, many of which could not be incorporated into the final version of the film.

These archives are organized as a supplement to THE WEST, with materials pertaining to each of the series' eight episodes catalogued together. Because the series presents the history of the American West in chronological order, this organization should enable any visitor to quickly locate items of interest. For each episode, visitors will find a listing of documentary texts, a "thumbnail" catalogue of archival images, and descriptions of any other primary source materials. All texts are presented in transcription, rather than in facsimile. All images are presented in a size convenient for viewing through a web browser (even when the original image is much larger).