Special Collections Highlights Work of Arkansas Photographer Don House

Don House

MC 2709, Box 30, Folder 3 — Old Main, University of Arkansas, undated

The University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections Division is pleased to announce the opening of the Don House Papers, a rich collection documenting the life and work of the Arkansas-based photographer known for his evocative portraits, landscapes and documentation of Ozarks life.

Select photographs from the collection will be on display during the Archives Month Open House, set for 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, on Level 1 of Mullins Library.

This newly processed collection offers insight into House's decades-long career as a photographer, writer and active member of Arkansas' arts community. Materials include photographic prints, negatives, correspondence, publications, business records, journals and promotional items reflecting both his creative process and professional life.

House's portraits capture a wide range of Arkansans, including musicians and bands such as Jed Clampit, Trout Fishing in America and Still on the Hill; U of A figures such as Randall Woods, Bill Schwab, Yvette Murphy Erby and Ellen Gilchrist; and artists such as Ken Smith, Russell Cothren, Bill Flanagan, Daniel Kasztelan, and Hank and JoAnn Kaminsky.

His photographs have appeared in numerous publications, including Forbes, Arkansas Times, Edible Ozarkansas, Rural Heritage, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Vogue Germany and Whitefish Review. In addition to his photography, House has authored or co-authored five books, among them Buffalo Creek Chronicles: Diary of a Cattle Ranch on the Southern Plains (2002), Not a Good Sign (2010), Remote Access: Small Public Libraries in Arkansas (2021), Letters to Dan: A Philosophical Guide to the Ozarks (2023) and the children's book Otto's Great Adventure (2004). His books are also available through Special Collections. 

"Just as Don's photography has captured people from all walks of life, I think there's something in this collection for any visitor to Special Collections," said Katrina Windon, head of the Collections Management and Processing Unit. "Several highlights from the collection will be on display at our Archives Month Open House event later this month, which we invite everyone to attend. But I hope researchers will come back to delve further into everything the collection has to offer, because it's not just a collection of Don's own photography, ... it's also a story of the Ozarks arts community that he's been such an integral part of."

House expressed his gratitude for the collaboration with the Libraries. "Working with Katrina Windon and the staff of Special Collections has been one of the most enjoyable and important endeavors of my career," he said. "The work they do is crucial, and not just simply as a dry record of historical facts and figures. Katrina and her colleagues capture the very essence, the soul of the region I love and call home, and lay it out for future generations to study and understand. I am honored to work with them."