Digitization of rare maps help Save Texas History

Earliest maps of Texas included in collection now available to the public

AUSTIN — Christmas came early at the historic archives of the General Land Office with a gift Texans worldwide will be eager to share. A private collection of some of the oldest and rarest maps of Texas is now available to the public, thanks to a unique digitization project with Houston map collectors, Frank and Carol Holcomb.

High-quality, digital reprints of the Frank and Carol Holcomb collection are available now for as little as $20. All proceeds from the sales help Save Texas History, a public-private effort to preserve and digitize the massive collection of maps and historic documents in the Archives of the General Land Office.

“Texas history is an epic tale and these maps are colorful reminders,” Patterson said. “Buying maps on-line from the General Land Office is a great way to take care of some Christmas shopping and help preserve our great state’s history at the same time.”

The Holcomb’s are allowing the General Land Office to digitize their map collection, providing access for the first time to over seventy important historic maps of Texas, the United States, and the Western Hemisphere. The Frank and Carol Holcomb Map Collection includes many maps that show Texas and the southwest dating to 1513, making them the oldest maps in the collection at the General Land Office Archives and Records.

“The addition of the Frank and Carol Holcomb Map Collection is exciting news for those interested in Texas maps,” said Mark Lambert, Deputy Commissioner of Archives and Records for the General Land Office. “These maps represent some of the most important not only in Texas history, but U.S. and Western Hemisphere history as well. We are deeply indebted to the Holcombs for this wonderful gift and project. As a state institution, we are reliant upon private individuals, like Frank and Carol Holcomb, to help us fulfill our goal of creating the most comprehensive Texas map database in the world.”

The Frank and Carol Holcomb Map Collection will be searchable at www.savetexashistory.org, just like the other 45,000 maps housed at the GLO, as well as thousands of additional maps that the General Land Office has scanned for other public institutions and private collectors.

“Frank and Carol Holcomb have made an important contribution to the study of the cartographic history of Texas with a donation that will benefit school children studying Texas and American history and geography, as well as scholars, and people who just like historic maps,” Patterson said. “These digital resources will help the GLO, and users of our archival records, better understand how Texas was formed, and will show the evolution of Texas mapping.”

Other private collectors are encouraged to donate and digitize their map collections with the General Land Office. Donations made to the GLO for public purposes are tax deductible pursuant to Internal Revenue Code §170(c)(1).

Frank Holcomb is a Houston attorney who specializes in tax issues and estate planning. His wife Carol is a volunteer docent at Bayou Bend, the American decorative arts collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. The maps were publicly displayed for the first time at the Patron’s Party for the San Jacinto Battleground Conservancy in April 2013.

These and hundreds of other great maps can be found at www.savetexashistory.org.

Most maps at www.savetexashistory.org cost as little as $20. Online and phone orders before 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19th can be delivered by Christmas Day. Orders can also be called in directly to the Archives and Records Program of the Land Office at 1-800-998-4GLO (4456). Maps may be purchased at the General Land Office, 1700 N. Congress Ave., through Tuesday, Dec. 23.

The Save Texas History Program is a unique campaign that brings together private and government efforts to preserve the 35.5 million maps and documents at the Texas General Land Office.

After items are conserved, they’re digitally preserved and made available to the public via the Internet. The Digital Preservation Project of the Save Texas History Program has been recognized by the Texas Historical Commission for its monumental effort to digitally preserve these historic treasures.

To search for maps, place orders, or make a monetary donation to the Save Texas History Program, visit www.savetexashistory.org or call the Land Office toll-free at 1-800-998-4GLO.