Our library contains a variety of materials documenting the history of San Antonio and South Central Texas. Although our collections include architectural drawings, archives, books, clippings files, maps, oral histories, and photographs, this catalog is a work in progress and does not yet contain the library’s complete holdings. Be sure to visit or contact the library, if you can’t find what you’re looking for online.
The Conservation Society of San Antonio
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Charles Heuermann Papers
(1904 -1916) – Consists of correspondence, forms, notes, and a newspaper article that document Mr. Heuermann’s involvement in local efforts to preserve and memorialize the site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio. This collection also references the conflict that arose between Adina de Zavala and Clara Driscoll Sevier, the two women who led the efforts of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (the oldest patriotic women’s organization in the state) in preserving the Alamo battle site.
Ernst Raba Photo Collection
(c. 1853 – c. 1939) – Consists of 244 photographs made or reproduced by Ernst Raba, an early San Antonio photographer and artist. The bulk of this collection documents San Antonio’s changing physical appearance. It includes streetscapes and buildings, with a few notable portraits, such as Jose Antonio Navarro’s.
Restricted Photo Collection
(so named because of the fragile condition of many of the photos)
(c. 1850s – c. 1920s) – In contrast to the Raba Collection’s focus on buildings, some of these 348 photos document local events, such as floods and parades. This collection also depicts a wide range of people, including: aguadores, bird-sellers, firefighters, military men, and students.
Rosemary Son Photo Collection
(c. 1895 – c. 1947) – Longtime Society member Rosemary Son donated this collection. It features photos taken by, and of, her father, Preston Louis Anderson. Anderson served as the San Antonio Fire and Police Commissioner from 1941 to 1947. Many of the 142 photos depict military activities, as well as those of the San Antonio Fire and Police Departments. Photos of dignitaries and famous Mexican entertainers who visited San Antonio are also included.
San Antonio Downtown Historic Resource Survey
(1981 – 1982) – the Society surveyed buildings and structures in the area bounded by Interstate 35 on the north, Interstate 37 on the east, Cesar Chavez (then Durango) Boulevard on the south and the Missouri Pacific Railroad Station (N. Medina Street) on the west. Surveyors completed a data sheet and took photos for each building or structure.
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