Marlissa Vela - Photographs - 35mm negatives , undated

Series I: Artists Files, 1922-2019, undated Boxes 1-155

Artist Files comprise the bulk of the collection. The files are separated into Male Artist Files and Female Artist Files to maintain Hernández’s original order. Both series are then arranged alphabetically by artist last name or band name. Although the series is titled Artists Files, there are also entrepreneurs, community leaders, promoters, street performers, and many others represented.

The material found in each artist file varies greatly. For artists that Hernández worked with, there are typically hundreds of his photographs (both portraits and of performances), drafts of publicity material, and design ideas for album covers. The contents of larger files are typically sorted into the following broader subseries: Personal, Photographs, Concert and Event Publicity, Albums, Publicity, Ramón Hernández Material, Clippings, Audiovisual material, and Promotional Material. Note: not every artist file has each type of material.

• Personal includes autographs, business cards, correspondence, and other such material.

• Photographs consist of both snapshots and portraits (most taken by Hernández) along with publicity photographs.

• Concert and Event Publicity consists of tickets, flyers, publicity cards, programs, and other publicity material for concerts and other events.

• Albums can consist of album covers ranging from 45 records to CDs and also publicity materials for particular albums.

• Publicity contains press releases, artist biographies, press kits, and any other material that could be seen as promoting the artist.

• Ramón Hernández Material is anything that Hernández created about the artist, including, but not limited to, article and artist biography drafts, design ideas for albums and publicity material, and correspondence.

• Clippings the majority of clippings come from the San Antonio Express-News, La Prensa de San Antonio, and Street Talk, however there are some national, and a few international clippings, especially for Little Joe Hernandez. Published articles by Hernández are also found here.

• Audiovisual Material typically contains promotional CDs or cassettes.

The initials RH found in smaller files, denote that the item is either created by or related to Hernández

There is also a small subseries includes oversize portraits of artists (many taken by Hernández). The arrangement mimics the arrangement of the previous series by separating the male and female artists and then arranging the portraits alphabetically.