(2) John L. Davis Encino Press Books, San Antonio & Houston Historical Portraits

Lot description

(lot of 2) Books by John L. Davis, each published by The Encino Press, Austin, Texas, designed by Bill Wittliff (William Dale Wittliff, American, active in Austin, Texas, 1940-2019), including: (1) "San Antonio: A Historical Portrait," first edition, 1978, 183 pages; (1) "Houston: A Historical Portrait," 1983, 183 pages, largest: approx 8.75"h, 11 3/8"w, 5/8"d; 4.75lbs total Provenance: From the estate of Connie Todd (Constance Clare Todd, Austin, Texas, 1941-2024). For many years, Connie Todd was the personal assistant to prominent Austin-based book publisher, photographer, and author Bill Wittliff (William Dale Wittliff, American, active in Austin, Texas, 1940-2019). Bill Wittliff wrote celebrated screenplays such as "Lonesome Dove" (1982), "Legends of the Fall" (1994), and "Barbarosa" (2000), and founded the regionally-oriented publishing company, Encino Press, with his wife Sally in 1963. Connie Todd later served as the founding director of the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University from 1997-2010, transforming it into an internationally-acclaimed collection through noteworthy acquisitions such as the Cormac McCarthy archive. After retiring from Texas State, Connie Todd spent time traveling the world with friends and family.