Ysleta Mission Door
Between 1740 – 1744 the mission church and pueblo at Ysleta were destroyed by floodwaters and then rebuilt south of their original location. Another flood seriously damaged the church in 1929, and in 1907 it was gutted by fire. The current church retains the 19th-century walls.
This door dating from the 1700s and identified as being from the Ysleta mission, has been in the El Paso Pioneer Association since 1911. It is made from cedar wood and featured four hand-forged hinges and a hand-forged locking latch. The wooden parts are either fitted or pegged together.
Giron Chest
The Giron chest, located in the museum’s permanent exhibition, Changing Pass: People Land and Memory, dates back to the 18th century. Located in the colonial New Spain portion of the exhibit, the trunk localizes the Spanish colonial period, having arrived from Spain at the San Elizario area.
The trunk was likely used as general storage and is believed to be made out of chestnut wood, as the family nicknamed it “el castaño” (the chestnut). Despite its age, the chest is in excellent condition, including the original ornaments. The item was a gift to the museum from the Giron family.
Zork Wedding Dress
The white velvet wedding dress was worn by Ruth Schwartz Zork at her wedding to Luis Zork on December 14, 1922. The dress was a gift to the museums and is part of the Popular Dry Goods Co. collection, now housed at the El Paso Museum of History. Mrs. Zork was the daughter of Fannie Amstater and Adolf Schwartz founder of Popular Dry Goods Co..The wedding reception took place at the Schwartz residence at 1501 N. Mesa St.
Pancho Villa Movie Poster
Movie poster (1914) for The Great Mexican War. The core of this four-reel film was live footage shot during the Battle of Ojinaga by filmmaker Charles A. Pryor and crew, working out of El Paso. The film was distributed as far away as Hawaii. At least two film reels remain in the Library of Congress.
