Special Collections and Archives

Central Texas: Glass-Plate Negatives

Mystery Delivered

In August of 2016, the University Archives received an unexpected donation of three boxes of glass plate negatives. The photographer is unknown, which put us at a disadvantage when trying to date this collection, give it historical context, or describe its subjects, but we were not without options for filling in the gaps.

Thanks to the Digital and Web Services Department (DWS), we had high-resolution images to examine. These allowed us to zoom in and identify text and structures in the images.

The images above show the boxes in which the glass plate negatives arrived.  We cannot be certain these are their original boxes, but they give us clues to guide our research. Click on the image to the left to get a better look.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #001

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #002 Lake above Five Mile Dam, looking southeast.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #003. Jacob's Well, Wimberley, Texas.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #004 Powerhouse at the Mill site on Spring Lake, San Marcos, Texas.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #006. Hays County Courthouse (1882-1908), San Marcos, Texas. Designed by F.E. Ruffini.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #007. San Antonio Street, south side of the Square, San Marcos, Texas.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #008. Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. Second building from the left is Lambermont House, also known as Terrell Castle.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #009. Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas. Battle of Flowers Parade.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #010. Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas. Battle of Flowers Parade.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #011. Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas. Battle of Flowers Parade.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #012. Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas. Battle of Flowers Parade.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #013

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #014. Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #015. Belger-Cahill Lime Kiln, San Marcos, Texas.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #016

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #017 View of the Blanco River at the mouth of Pierce Creek, looking upstream (NNW) towards Wimberley, San Marcos, Texas.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #018

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #019 Powerhouse at the Mill site on Spring Lake, San Marcos, Texas.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #020

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #021. View of downtown San Marcos, Texas, taken from Chautauqua Hill.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #022

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #023

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #024

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #025

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #026

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #027

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #028

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #029. Parke County Courthouse, Rockville, Indiana. Designed by Thomas J. Tolan, completed in 1882.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #030

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #031

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #032

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #033. San Marcos River, San Marcos, Texas. View from the power house, looking east towards what is now the Sewell Park Bridge.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #034

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #035

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #036 Steam powered water pump is visible in this image.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #037

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #038 Steam powered water pump is visible in this image.

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #039

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #040

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #041

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #042

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #043

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #044

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #045

Central Texas Glass Plate Negative Collection #046

This exhibit will give you a view of the process we undertook to identify these unknown images.  The image above takes you to the entire collection as it was digitized in the order that the plates were pulled from their boxes.