The Galveston and Texas History Center contains of over 100,000 photographs, prints, and postcards that date from the 1850s to the 2000s. These visual collections include images of Galveston’s buildings, citizens, social life, and environment. Collections are arranged into five groupings: Special Collections, Galveston Photographic Subject Files, Street Files, Name Files, and Miscellaneous. Special Collections are photograph collections donated by creators or collectors of the material. The remaining groupings are artificial collections developed by library staff. Further information is provided by the links below.
The Galveston Photographic Subject Files contain photographs of Galveston arranged by subject, including Storm of 1900, churches, beach scenes, and restaurants. This collection is currently being digitized. Images are made available in the Archives Catalog as they are digitized.
The Street Files contain photographs of commercial and residential street scenes. This collection has been fully digitized.
The Name Files contain photographs of individuals and families from Galveston. At least one photo for each individual in this collection has been digitized.
The Special Collections contain photos that were donated as distinct collections or albums that are part of larger manuscript collections. These contain photos and postcards on a variety of subjects, places, families, and events.
The Miscellaneous Files (M-Files) contain photographs of areas outside of Galveston and Texas, including a rare photo of the Texas Infantry at Camp Quantico. A subject index is available in the Reading Room.
The following books are excellent sources of historic photographs. A subject index is available in the Reading Room.
Updated 2023-02-23 KK