Celebrate 60 Years of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building with New Exhibit, “A Home for Texas History”
Austin, TX – The Texas State Library and Archives Commission invites all Texans to join in the celebration of history and the 60th anniversary of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building by visiting the new lobby exhibit, “A Home for Texas History,” on display Feb. 22 – Aug. 15, 2022, in Austin and online.
The new exhibit features iconic “Texas Treasures” alongside other significant historical records fundamental to the formation and operation of Texas government. Documents on display will include the original, handwritten Texas Declaration of Independence and, through March 12, William B. Travis’s famed “letter from the Alamo,” dated February 24, 1836—on public view for the first time since 2013.
Since it opened in 1962, the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library building (named in 1973 for the first vice president of the Republic of Texas), the State Library headquarters has provided a secure, climate-controlled, and spacious environment to preserve the foundational and priceless documents entrusted to the State Archives for 60 years.
“A Home for Texas History” also includes a Spanish census of Mission San Jose dating to 1793, a portrait of Stephen F. Austin, the 1842 treaty between the Republic of Texas and Great Britain signed by Queen Victoria, historical photographs and portrait miniatures, and much more from the extensive collections of the State Archives. Many of these items have not been on display since the building’s inaugural exhibit in 1962. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of the historical items that created Texas history in real time, from the 17th century to today.
In his address at the building’s dedication ceremony, then-Governor Price Daniel remarked that, “With the completion of this building, the Texas State Archives have their first adequate housing in more than a century.” Join the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in celebrating the success of the first 60 years of this vision as we look forward to the future.
“A Home for Texas History” is open to the public through August 15, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., as well as the Second Saturday of each month. The exhibit may also be viewed online at www.tsl.texas.gov/
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The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides Texans access to the information they need to be informed, productive citizens by preserving the archival record of Texas; enhancing the service capacity of public, academic, and school libraries; assisting public agencies in the maintenance of their records; and meeting the reading needs of Texans with disabilities. For more information, visit www.tsl.texas.gov.