AHJ_ah05664 Inventory of the Buddy Mays papers, 1950-2016 Mays (Buddy) papers Processed by Laura Uglean Jackson University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:http://ahc.uwyo.edu/
2012

University of Wyoming

 Finding aid encoded by Laura Uglean Jackson December 2012 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary Mays, Buddy Buddy Mays papers 1950-2016 05664 20.38 cubic ft. (35 boxes) + 1.69 GB University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. English Contains writings and photographs by Buddy Mays as well as professional correspondence and other materials relating to his career as a travel writer and photographer. Biography of Buddy Mays

Buddy Mays was born in 1943 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After high school, Mays served in the Coast Guard until 1965. Afterward he studied vertebrate zoology at New Mexico State University, where he began working as a photographer for the Las Cruces Sun News. After college he became a photographer for the Albuquerque Tribune, and stayed there until 1972. Since then, Mays has been a freelance travel writer, author, and photographer. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1978 for a series of photographs on American Cowboys. The bulk of his work concerns the American Southwest, Southwestern history, wildlife, outdoor recreation, whitewater rafting, and southwestern Indians. In 1996, Mays moved from New Mexico to Bend, Oregon.

 Scope and Content

This collection contains both published and unpublished essays, articles, and books by Mays, most from the 1970s. Manuscripts for two of Mays' books, "A Pilgrim's Wildlife Notebook" and "Wildwaters" are included. It also contains photographs taken by Mays of travel, outdoor activities, people, wildlife, and images of the Southwest. There is a collection of photographs titled "Cowboy Life in the Southwest: a Vanishing Heritage." There is also correspondence with publishers, colleagues, and friends, and professional files (including notebooks) documenting Mays' work as a travel writer and photographer.

Material marked restricted (Box 24) may not be opened until Buddy Mays' death.

 Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

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There are no known other archival collections created by Buddy Mays at the date of processing.

This material was received from Buddy Mays in multiple accretions from 1977-2024.

The collection was processed by Laura Uglean Jackson in December 2012 and updated by Brittany Heye in February 2026.

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

 Access Terms Mays, Buddy : Pilgrim's notebook Mays, Buddy : Wildwaters Wildlife photography Wildlife conservation Cowboys -- Photographs Cowboys -- Southwest, New Nature photography Travel photography Rivers -- Recreational use Outdoor recreation Indians of North America -- Southwest, New Southwest, New -- Description and travel West (U.S.) -- Description and travel New Mexico Photographs Drawings <?xm-replace_text {Title as Subject}?> People, Ethnicity, and Culture Native Americans Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Fine Arts Journalism Container List Series I. Writings 1960-1982

1 Albuquerque, New Mexico 1973 1 All Those Vanishing 1974 1 Ambling Through the Arches 1973 1 The American Cowboy undated 1 Anasazi: Ancient Dwellers of the Rock undated 1 An Ancient Spanish Farm Lives Again undated 1 Antler Art: Don't Throw Away Those Antlers undated 1 Archaeological Pearls of Peru: Touring Cuzco's Inca Ruins undated 1 Bahia Concepcion: The Jewel of Baha undated 1 Baseball Fever in Farmington 1981 1 Bears undated 1 Beat Old Man Winter: Go Cross Country Skiing undated 1 Beaver: Desert Dweller By Chance 1973 1 Best Selling Mystery Writer Has Traveled A Long Road undated 1 Birds of the Bosque undated 1 Black Powder Beginner undated 1 Boundary Waters Bonanza undated 1 Brittany: Old World Enchantment 1975 1 Buckskin Billy: The Last of the Mountain Men 1973 1 Button, Button, Who Makes the Button? undated 1 The Cattle Drive is Alive and Well and Living in New Mexico undated 1 Canoeing Big Bend a Trip Into Time Discontinued undated 1 Canopies, Cloud Forests, and Calderas: Highlights of Outdoor Costa Rica undated 1 The Chama Canyon: New Mexico's Forgotten Wilderness undated 1 Children of the Earth undated 1 Cicuique: An Indian Pueblo Lives Again undated 1 Climbing the Organ Mountains 1974 1 Colorado: Best Bets for Ringnecks undated 20 Copper Canyon: The Real Treasure of the Sierra Madre undated 21 Cowboy Life in the Southwest: A Vanishing Heritage circa 1976 1 The Crafty Coyote: Wild Cousin of the Dog undated 1 Cross-country Skiing: An Old Sport Revisited 1972-1974 1 Deep, Deep, Down in the Mines undated 1 The Desert People undated 1 Ding-a-ling Dogs and New Mexican Ducks undated 1 Donald B. Hamilton: The Man Behind American's Toughest Spy undated 25 Early Writings / Unattributed 1960-1982 1 Edward Abbey: Life in a Firetower with One of the World's Best Novelists undated 1 Farrier Under Fire undated 1 Firestorm Autumn in America undated 1 Following the Trail of the Trappers: Surviving on Skis undated 1 Garden of Life: Carlsbad's Living Desert State Park undated 1 Ghost Town For Sale undated 1 Ghost Town Ladies undated 1 Gold Mine Revisited: Has the Lost Treasure of Padre La Rue Been Found? undated 1 Grand Canyon Float Trip undated 1 Gray Ghost of the Desert: The Desert Mule Deer undated 1 Helpful Tips to Fishing the High Country undated 1 Hermits, Loners, and Other Interesting Critters undated 1 High Country Trout undated 1 Home on the Range with New Mexico's Cowboy Governor undated 1 Hunting the Roads for North Maine Woods Grouse undated 1 In Search of Hemingway's Africa undated 1 Junior Daugherty- Fiddler on the Hoof undated 1 Just You and the Trees: The Rebirth of Cross Country Skiing 1974 1 Kangaroo Rat Karnival undated 1 Ladies Who Guard the Ghosts undated 1 Last of the Magical Horsemen undated 1 Lady of the Wilderness undated 1 Llama-Trekking: The Ultimate Hiking High undated 1 The Loners 1978 1-2 The Loners/ The Coming up of Noah circa 1974 20 The Magic and Mystery of White Sands undated 2 Make Mine Underfished! undated 2 Marc Simmons: An Historian's Historian undated 2 The Meanest Fifty Miles of Water on Earth undated 20 The Mediaization of White Sands (or, What Really Happened when the Space Shuttle Came to Town) undated 2 Mexico a Paradise Down the Inflationary Drain undated 2 The Most Grueling Horse Race undated 2 A New American Art: Making Turquoise and Silver Jewelry undated 2 New Mexico- Desert Switzerland for Cross Country undated 2 New Mexico: Southwestern Snow Oasis for Cross-country Skiers undated 2 Ordeal on Ptarmigan Wall undated 2 The Panhandle Ain't No Picnic undated 2 Paradise or Purgatory? undated 2 Pecos Fly-Packer undated 2 Pecos River Odyssey undated 2 People of the Sun 1979 2 Phagocytosis: The Birth, Destruction, and Rebirth of the Southwestern Indian undated 2 A Photo Essay (New Mexico Magazine) undated 2 The Photographs (Post Text in Wildlife Book) undated 2 A Pilgrim's Guide to Trout Fishing in the Rocky Mountains 1980 2 A Pilgrim's Survival Cookbook: A Guide to Eating in the Boonies undated 2 A Pilgrim's Wildlife Notebook: A Guide to Animals Commonly Encountered in the American West 1975-1977 2 Profile of a Red-Tail undated 2 Recluse of Galisteo Basin undated 2 The Revival of Cowboy Gospel 1980 2 Riding the Anasazi Trail undated 2 Rita and Janallo Hill undated 2 Roger Zelazny: A Dreamer of the World of Real undated 20 Safaris Made Easy undated 2 Santa Fe, New Mexico undated 21 Santa Fe Treasure Trove undated 2 Seven Days to Survival undated 2 Shoot a Wild River 1972-1973 2 The Shrine to an Apache Chief: Geronimo Springs Museum undated 2 So You Want to Tangle with a Steelhead undated 2 South America undated 2 Steelhead of the Emerald Rivers undated 3 Superstition Trail Ride 1982 3 Swamp by Any Other Name is Still a Swamp undated 3 Thirty Blocks of Death undated 3 Tributary Trouting: The How and Why of Taking Fish from Small Streams undated 3 The Truth of Consequences Fiesta: A Celebration (Literally) of Life undated 3 Unidentified undated 3 Untitled undated 3 Untitled Book Chapters undated 3 Utah's Lake Powell: Backcountry Boating at its Finest undated 3 Walking the Slickrock / Arches undated 3 Walking With History on the Ranch of the Swallows undated 3 Wants to Go Back to the Old Ways, Says Cigar Smoking Indian Teacher undated 3 Weathering the Grand Canyon for Winter Rainbows undated 3 The Whispering Giant: The Grand Canyon on the Colorado undated 3 Wild Horse Roundup 1973 3 Wild Ride to Suicide undated 3 Wild River Trout: From the Rugged Rio Grande Gorge undated 3 Wilderness Forgotten 1977 3 Wildwaters 1976 3 Wintering the Grand Canyon undated 34Original version of "Hard to Have Heroes" 1978 34Final manuscript of "Along Came a Cowboy"2012 34Original draft of Meandenations1978 34"Hard to Have Heroes" edited copy 2012 Digitalahcdm_05664_001CD - "Hard to Have Heroes" edited copyundated 34"The Deserts Children: Snapshots from New Mexico, 1970 - 1980" (two versions)1970 - 1980 34Publisher's proofs of "Santa Fe"2015 34"Ancient Pueblos, Sacred Places: A Traveler's Companion to the Important Pueblo Ruins in the American Southwest"2011 34Original manuscript of "Santa Fe" 2015 34Straus Literary correspondence and book proposalJune 2009 34Holiday House correspondence and book proposalundated 34Barefoot Books correspondence and book proposalNovember 2007 34Original manuscript of "Almost a Cowboy"2010 34"In the Kingdom of Rattlesnakes" - New Mexico versionundated 35"A Child's Book of God's Beautiful Birds"undated 35"The Picture Book of Unicorns"undated 35"Children of the Sun" manuscriptAugust 2009 35Oregon State University Press correspondence and book proposalMay 2016 35Houghton Mifflin correspondence and book proposalAugust 2007 35"ABC Book of Silly Fruits amd Vegitables" book proposalundated 35Untitled manuscriptundated Digitalahcdm_05664_002CD - Sample images for "Children of the Sun" (two discs)undated Digitalahcdm_05664_003CD - Images for "Please Don’t Shoot Me Mister"undated Series II. Photographs 1969-1990

3 Albuquerque Journal 1978 22 Alcoholism undated 22 Anasazi Trail undated 22 Architecture undated 3 Architecture- Adobe undated 3 Architecture- Miscellaneous undated 3 Colorado Bed and Breakfasts undated 22 Contact Prints undated 5, 23 Fishing undated 22 Gorilla undated 4 Hunting undated 22 Indians of North America- Southwest, New undated 22 Landscape- Southwest, New undated 4, 23 Miscellaneous undated, 1974-1979 22 Moving Pictures 4 New Mexico- People and Places undated 4 People- Abbey, Edward undated 4 People- Apodaca, Pete undated 4 People- Children undated 4 People- Chippewa undated 4 People- Cochiti undated 4 People- Cowboys undated 4 People- Domenici, Pete 1978 4 People- Firemen and Policemen undated 4 People- Hart, Sylvester "Buckskin Bill" undated 4 People- Heiden, Nadine undated 4 People- Hill, Rita undated 4 People- Hongen, Nils undated 4 People- Indian Children undated 4 People- Lopez, Aniceto undated 4 People- Mays, Buddy undated 4 People- Moulter, Dorothy undated 4 People- Mountain Rescue Team undated 4 People- Native Americans 1973-1978 4 People- Salkeld, Jeff undated 4 People- San Juan Indians undated 4 People- Segura, Anasticio undated 4 People- Segura, Melaquias undated 4 People- Simmons, Marc 1981 4 People- Tellin, Dana undated 5 People- Unidentified circa 1975 4 People- Weaver, Dennis undated 4 Personal 1979-1990 4 Places- Arches National Park, Utah undated 4 Places- Bay of Conception undated 4 Places- Cloride, New Mexico undated 4 Places- Colorado undated 5 Places- Grand Canyon undated 4 Places- Guadalajara, Mexico undated 4 Places- Mexico undated 5 Places- New Mexico 1980-1981 4 Places- Rio Grande River undated 5 Places- Rio Grande River / Big Bend undated 5 Places- Rogue River undated 4 Places- San Jose, New Mexico undated 4, 5 Places- Unidentified circa 1974 4 Places- Unidentified "Slum City" undated 22 Portrait Prints 1969-1978 4 Problems of the West circa 1973 4 Proof Sheets undated 5 Published Photos / Photo Essays 1974-1980 22 Ranch Life circa 1975 4 Rodeo undated 23 Sports undated 4 Sports- Basketball undated 4 Sports- Marathon undated 4 Sports- Mountain Climbing undated 23 Sports- Nordic Skiing undated 4, 23 Sports- Rafting undated 4 Sports- Scuba Diving undated 4 Sports- Skiing undated 4 Sports- Tennis undated 23 Symphony undated 4 Time Magazine, Gaudet 1973 4 Wildlife- Antelope undated 4 Wildlife- Bears undated 5 Wildlife- Beaver undated 5 Wildlife- Bighorn Sheep undated 4, 5 Wildlife- Birds undated 4 Wildlife- Bison (buffalo) undated 4 Wildlife- Coyote undated 5 Wildlife- Deer circa 1972 4 Wildlife- Horses undated 5 Wildlife- Miscellaneous undated 5 Wildlife- Insects undated 4 Wildlife- Opossum undated 5 Wildlife- Otters undated 4 Wildlife- Rabbits undated 5 Wildlife- Snakes undated 4 Wildlife- Squirrel undated 35Miscellaneous Photographsundated Series III. Correspondence 1968-1984

13 Correspondence 1968-1984 24 [RESTRICTED] Correspondence 1977-1978 14 Correspondence 1978-1983 15 Correspondence 1981-1984 15 Correspondence undated Series IV. Professional Files 1950-2000 Sub-series 1. By Format 1950-1999

Includes travel brochures, notebooks, biographical information on Mays (including early life and family photographs), correspondence, and miscellaneous documents relating to Mays' work and personal life.

 16 Awards 1979-1989 16 Badges 1978-1980 25 Biographical- High School Yearbook 1961 16 Biographical, Miscellaneous 1950-1965 16 Biographical, Miscellaneous 1960-1973 17 Calendars 1973-1998 16 Coast Guard 1961-1965 16 Chronicle Books 1984 16 Drawings undated 16 Harper, McRae - Book - Light Images 1992 16 Michelin Travel 1999 16 New Mexico Magazine- Invoices 1978-1979 18-20 Notes and Notebook undated 16 Payments Received 1971-1978 16 Resumes, Miscellaneous 1970-1974 16 Stock Photos and Publications Lists undated 16 Travel Information and Guides 1974-1999 20 Vouchers 1977 Sub-series 2. By Date 1978-2000

Contains memos, logs, correspondence (including faxes and emails) with publishers and travel information.

 20 Professional Files 1978-1981 20 Professional Files 1979-1984 6 Professional Files 1984-1987 7 Professional Files 1987-1991 8 Professional Files 1990-1995 9 Professional Files 1994-1997 10 Professional Files 1995-2000 11 Professional Files 1997-1999 12 Professional Files 1998-2000 Inventories

The American Heritage Center is in the process of converting its older container lists to a more accessible format. These links are to older versions of container lists for boxes 26-33.

 26-27Link to Accessioning Worksheet, 05664.2014-04-17 (PDF) 28-31Link to Accessioning Worksheet, 05664.2014-04-25 (PDF) 32-33Link to Accessioning Worksheet, 05664.2014-05-13 (PDF)