The Mavericks “What a Crying Shame” shirt

The Austin City Limits Collection spans the years from 1974 to 2002. It is a diverse collection that contains material and artifacts documenting Austin City Limits and artists connected with the show. The collection was compiled by Bill Arhos (co-creator, executive producer and program director for Austin City Limits), and also documents the Austin Film Festival and PBS-KLRU/KLRN.

The collection includes press clippings, publicity materials, photographs, correspondence, galley proofs for the book Austin City Limits by Cliff Endres, and ephemera such as t-shirts, hats, backstage passes, posters, and tickets. Of particular interest are the press clippings and publicity items. These materials serve as a valuable supplement for other research resources to reveal a comprehensive portrait of the operations and history of the show.

Also included in the collection is memorabilia from Austin City Limits, related artists, the Austin Film Festival, and the Ned Blessing film production, including t-shirts, ball caps, backstage passes, promo art, postcards, tickets, and other miscellanea. Notable is the Arhos-compiled scrapbook (box 4), which was begun in the early days of the show, but not completed. During processing of the collection, it was scanned, then disassembled.

Also included is the typewriter upon which Arhos wrote the proposal to PBS to fund the Austin City Limits pilot.