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Detail of Girolamo Ruscelli, Nueva Hispania Tabula Nova, 1574. Courtesy of the Houston History Research Center, Houston Public Library.

June 12, 2024 - March 15, 2025

The Julia Ideson Building | The Dr. James and Betty Key Map Room

Celebrating the opening of the Dr. James and Betty Key Map Room, Mapping Texas and Houston: Selections from the Houston History Research Center highlights some of the over 2000 maps at the Houston History Research Center. The maps have found their way into the collection via individual donations, as part of archival collections, and through the state document depository program. The new Key Map Room is a dedicated gallery space for displaying maps of Houston, Texas, and beyond, offering a unique opportunity for the public viewing of these beautiful and educational pieces of history.

This exhibition explores the changing shapes of Texas and Houston, starting with 16th century world maps from the European Age of Discovery. As explorers traversed the region, our understanding of the shape of the Texas coastline and the geography of its landforms and waterways grew more accurate. The maps record the dramatic evolution of the state’s boundaries through colonization, revolutions, and US statehood.

EXPLORE THE COLLECTIONS

Maps

Historical maps of Houston and surrounding areas, digitized items include the earliest map of Houston, Gail and Thomas H. Borden's “Plan of the City of Houston,” and the 1869 map by W. E. Wood.

Dr. Claude Elliott Texana Collection (MSS 0048)

Dr. Elliott was formerly a professor of history of San Marcos Teacher's College, San Marcos, Texas, and was a collector of Texana for many years. The Elliott collection consists of 23 early Texas documents which Dr. Elliott considered to be the finest in his collection. These documents will be of value to researchers on the land policies of Mexico and the Republic of Texas.

Robert P. Boyce Papers (MSS 0038)

Robert P. Boyce (1816-1889) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and claimed his memoirs to “come of a hard headed race.” He was a veteran of both the Texas Revolution and the U.S. Civil War. An important milestone during his military career transpired when he was assigned to guard Santa Anna following the Texas victory at the Battle of San Jacinto. This collection is comprised of a scrapbook, which contains newspaper clippings and mementos, a handwritten memoir and corresponding typescripts, maps, and photographs from the life of Robert P. Boyce.