Finding Aid to the J. G. (John George) Braecklein Papers MS.574
Holly Rose Larson
Library and Archives at the Autry
2012 October 8
210 South Victory Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502
rroom@theautry.org
Contributing Institution:
Library and Archives at the Autry
Title: J. G. (John George) Braecklein Papers
Creator:
Braecklein, J. G. (John George)
Identifier/Call Number: MS.574
Physical Description:
0.2 Linear Feet
(5 folders)
Date (inclusive): 1901-1958
Abstract: J. G. (John George) Braecklein (1865-1958) was an architect, responsible for designing Kansas City's first skyscraper, a world
champion bones player with a minstrel group, and collector of Native American and Spanish relics. This collection consists
of a book of Braecklein's architectural work, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and an obituary. Materials in this collection
range from 1901-1958.
Language of Material:
English
.
Processed by Glenna Schroeder, circa 1977-1981. Final processing and finding aid completed by Holly Rose Larson, NHPRC Processing
Archivist, 2012 October 8, made possible through grant funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commissions
(NHPRC).
This collection consists of a book of J. G. (John George) Braecklein's architectural work, newspaper clippings, correspondence,
and an obituary. Materials range from 1901-1958.
The majority of this collection came from donations made by J. G. Braecklein between 1944 and 1950. Some clippings were donated
by F. W. Hodge in 1948.
J. G. (John George) Braecklein Papers, 1901-1958, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.574; [folder number] [folder
title][date].
Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is
given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include
or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
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J. G. (John George) Braecklein was born in 1865. He studied architecture at Harvard University, and designed Kansas City's
first skyscraper, the Heist Building, in 1888. Besides architecture, Braecklein was interested in and collected Native American
and Spanish relics, many of which he gave to Frederick Webb Hodge in 1944. Braecklein also had some involvement in the Boy
Scouts in his later years. Braecklein was a world champion bones player, and performed as a member of Epperson Megaphone Minstrals,
a blackface musical group active from 1899-1907. Braecklein married Louise Merritt, with whom he had four children. At the
time of Braecklein's death on October 7, 1958, he had eight grandchildren and ten great-grand-children.
Photograph of Oscar Braecklein (John's father) with the following biographical information: "Just before he left TREUEN, SAXONY,
GERMANY, for the gold fields of California by way of Cuba, thence to New Orleans, thence to St. Louis thence to California
thence to Leavenworth Kansas in 1855 and opened the first drug store in Leavenworth, Kansas. I gave my daughter his tin type
Mrs. Elsie Braecklein Daugherty. The photograph I present to F. W. Hodge. J. G. Braecklein December 15, 1944"
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Clippings
Obituaries
Architecture
Correspondence
Folder 3
- Interest in Indians – clippings
- Kansas City paper January 19, 1948 about speaking on arrowheads at the Greater Kansas City Council of American Pioneer Trails Association (includes picture)
- Kansas City Star May 16, 1948 about part of Mic-O-Say Boy Scout Honor group (includes picture)
- Tulsa World March 2, 1945 (2 c.) about being the man responsible for the Spiro Mound excavation in Tulsa