University of Texas at Austin

Photography Collections Database

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There are more than five million objects in the Harry Ransom Center's Photography Collection. Many records contain legacy descriptions. A review and update of our records is ongoing.

Additional information may be available. Contact Reference and Research Services.

Call Number:

PH-21042

Collection Name:

Texas Photographic Society Records

Creator:

Texas Photographic Society

No. of Items:

8 record storage cartons, 6 oversize boxes, 1 flat file, 4 document boxes

Span Dates:

circa 1979-1999

Description:

Legal files, financial documents, by-laws, correspondence, newsletters and journals, and photographic materials document the founding and work of the Texas Photographic Society and its members. The collection is organized into the following three series: I. Texas Photographic Society, II. Photojournalism Contest Submissions, and III. Williams, Rick.

The first series consists of the records which document the administrative activities of the Texas Photographic Society (TPS) and its outreach efforts promoting the creation and appreciation of photography in communities throughout Texas. Several iterations of the bylaws and articles of incorporation, legal documents, and minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors evidence the process of transitioning from the Austin Photographic Cooperative (APS) to the nonprofit organization known as the TPS. A small amount of correspondence provides evidence of outreach efforts. Also present are materials pertaining to exhibitions organized by the TPS, including the Visions of Texans project, which traveled around the state and showed photographs documenting the life of Texans. Among these records, the only photographic materials present are slides. These include photographs chosen for a special issue of PhotoLetter (Vol. 8, No. 2), judged by Helmut Gernsheim; NASA-produced images; and assorted others, many unidentified.

Series II, which accounts for a large portion of the collection, is comprised of submissions for photojournalism awards, including the Charles Green - Headliners Awards and the North Carolina Press Association News, Editorial and Photography Contest. These entries, acquired by TPS member and University of Texas at Austin Professor Emeritus, J. B. Colson while serving as a contest judge, are organized by photographer, within each of the following categories: Spot News, Photo Feature, Sports News, and Photo Series. Included with the prints are two letters addressed to Colson regarding his judging, and materials relating to a class he taught on Sports Photography.


The final series consist of materials related to the publishing of Working Hands, a book of photography by Rick Williams. Also included here are Williams' uncataloged records from his years as president of the Texas Photographic Society (1988-1991). Williams donated the TPS records to the Ransom Center.

Location(s):

4 b (u)
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