The Austin History Center, Austin Public Library has recently completed a major digitization project for citizens of the world to access through the Portal to Texas History.  This digitization project was made possible by a grant from The Summerlee Foundation through a partnership with the University of North Texas Libraries.  800 images of one of Austin’s prolific photographers, Neal Douglass, are now accessible online.  In 1935 Douglass began his photographic career working for the Austin American-Statesman where he was the newspapers first photographer.  At the same time he had an agreement with the newspaper that allowed him to have his own commercial photography business which employed a staff of six, and was assisted by his wife Elnora.  The Austin History Center’s Neal Douglass collection contains approximately 50,000 images both from his work as a reporter and his private business.  They date between 1935 and 1970, the bulk of the collection covers the 1950's and 1960's in amazing detail. Some of the notable images are Harry Truman making a Whistle Stop in Austin in 1948, Governor Jester joking around with Zachary Scott in 1940, and the Night Hawk restaurant during the 1935 flood.  Neal Douglass died in November of 1983 and is survived by his daughters Connie Douglass Vanzura, and Carolyn Douglass Evans. In 2007 the Austin History Center has plans to digitize additional images of this enriching and invaluable historical photographic collection of Austin’s collective memory. “This project is part of our ongoing effort to make historical documentation available to the community using current technologies to highlight the rich archival resources of the Austin History Center, says Sue Soy, Austin History Center Manager. The online Neal Douglass portal can be accessed at HERE .

About The Portal to Texas History

The portal offers students and lifelong learners a digital gateway to the rich collections held in Texas libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, and private collections.  The Portal team at the University of North Texas provides strong leadership by supporting collaborative efforts with its partners, while pursuing the goals of accessibility, best practices, and preservation of historical material. For additional information visit http://texashistory.unt.edu/.

About the Austin History Center

As the local history collection of the Austin Public Library, the Austin History Center provides the public with information about the history, current events, and activities of Austin and Travis County. The Austin History Center collects and preserves information about local governments, businesses, residents, institutions, and neighborhoods so that generations to come will have access to our history. The Austin History Center is located at 810 Guadalupe Street, on the southwest corner of Guadalupe and 9th Streets in downtown Austin. The Austin History is open to the public Mon–Wed: 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sat: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sun: 12 noon –6 p.m. (except holidays). For additional information visit  www.cityofaustin.org/library or call (512) 974-7400.