(L-0776-A) Steel framework of the Smith-Young Tower (now Tower Life Building) as seen from the Medical Arts Building, October 1928. San Antonio Light Photograph Collection.
(Aug. 1, 2018) -- The UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures celebrates San Antonio’s Tricentennial with a new photo exhibit, “San Antonio 1860s – 1990s: A Photographic Chronology from UTSA Special Collections,” drawing on the treasures of the UTSA Libraries Special Collections to tell San Antonio’s story in photographs.
With an extensive photo archive of 3.5 million images, longtime collection curator Tom Shelton has selected 300 photographs depicting ethnic communities and culture, daily life, street scenes, events and architecture. The exhibit opens Aug. 4.
Shelton chose a chronological arrangement to give visitors a better idea about the pace with which changes in the city occurred and to make it easy for them to make comparisons between eras.
“They’ll see photographs of the narrow, winding streets of the 19th century and the urban sprawl of the 20th,” said Shelton. “They’ll find jitterbug dancing in 1939 and breakdancing in 1984.”
UTSA Libraries administers the Special Collections and historic photo archive at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures. The extensive photo collection includes the San Antonio Light collection, the San Antonio Express-News collection, the Zintgraff commercial studios collection, the institute’s general photograph collection, and other smaller collections.
“This exhibit demonstrates the depth and breadth of the photograph collection, which is comprised of 3.5 million photos,” said Amy Rushing, head of UTSA Libraries Special Collections. “It illustrates Tom’s familiarity with San Antonio history and his extensive knowledge of the photographs within the collection, particularly those that may never have been seen before. I think visitors will be excited to see the hidden gems Tom has brought to light.”
The historic photo archive sees extensive use, including references for architecture firms and classes, educational programs, news stories, movie productions, genealogy studies and dozens of other projects.
“Photographic records of Texas changed everything,” said Angelica Docog, executive director of the institute. “It adds a visual representation of a moment in time – an indisputable, factual account – that tells so much about a subject and situation. These photographs are windows into our past and opportunities to learn more about ourselves and our ancestors, and what it took to build a life in Texas.”
UTSA Libraries Special Collections oversees the historic photo archive at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures. It is open to the public Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., or by appointment, 210-458-2228.
The Institute of Texan Cultures is located on the UTSA Hemisfair Campus, 801 E. César E. Chávez Blvd. Regular hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults (18-64); $8 for seniors (ages 65+) and children (6-17); children 5 and under free; free with membership, UTSA or Alamo Colleges identification.
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Join the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main CampusAt this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
