Texas In Focus: Early Photographs from the State Archives

Tuesday, October 7, 2014 • Austin, Texas • News Release

 

 

Texas In Focus:

Early Photographs from the State Archives

 

 There is an almost magical quality to the practice of harnessing light and shadow to capture a fleeting moment in time. Our fascination with photography extends far beyond its documentary nature, and from the time that it was introduced these alluring images have fueled our sense of curiosity. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission invites you to step back in time and develop a deeper understanding of the story of Texas and her people.

Texas in Focus showcases images from the Prints and Photographs Collection at the Texas State Archives that reveal a visual narrative of the history of the state, and the rapid technological advancements taking place in the field of photography from the mid to late 19th century. On display are iconic figures and moments central to the story of Texas interwoven with the likenesses of ordinary citizens, who played witness to moments that only exist now within the pages of books.

Photographic formats showcased include; daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes, three-dimensional stereographic cards, and the mounted prints of cartes de visites and other examples of images of early Texas photography.

Texas in Focus will be on display in the lobby of the Lorenzo De Zavala State Archives and Library Building  (1201 Brazos Street in Austin, Texas) from October 7th ,2014 through January 30th, 2015.  Viewing hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m., with special extended weekend viewing opportunities on the second Saturday of each month.

From the handcrafted images found within this collection, to the millions of megapixels uploaded to social networking sites every minute, it is exciting to speculate what the future will bring to the ever changing art of form of photography. Visit www.tsl.texas.gov/focus for a virtual tour of the exhibit including high resolution images, historical timelines, an introductory video and more.