Houston History Research Center (HHRC) Houston Public Library

Overview

The Houston History Research Center (HHRC), formerly known as the Houston Metropolitan Research Center (HMRC), is the primary historical archive of the City of Houston, housed in the landmark Julia Ideson Building in downtown Houston. It is a unit of the Special Collections Division of the Houston Public Library (HPL) and serves as the first archival branch of that system.

History and Founding

The center originated from a cooperative project funded in 1974 by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Houston Bicentennial Commission, the Brown Foundation, and the Houston Endowment. Initially called the Houston Metropolitan Archives and Research Center, the project involved the University of Houston, Rice University, Texas Southern University, and the Houston Public Library. Archival materials were first housed at Fondren Library at Rice University before being transferred to the Houston Public Library in July 1976. The Julia Ideson Building — completed in 1926 as Houston's main library in Spanish Renaissance style and designed by architect Ralph Adams Cram — was renovated and reopened in 1979 to house the HMRC. A $32 million capital campaign launched in 2007 funded the construction of a new archival south wing (completed 2010) and comprehensive restoration of the historic building (completed December 2011). The Julia Ideson Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a City of Houston Protected Landmark and Recorded Texas Historical Landmark.

Collections and Holdings

The HHRC maintains more than 15,000 linear feet of manuscripts; private and public records; approximately 50,000 printed volumes, journals, and government publications; and four million photographic negatives and prints. Collections encompass books, maps, building plans and architectural drawings, journals, photographs, oral histories, and vertical files. Subject strengths include Houston business records, personal papers, civic history, urban development, and Texas history. The center has been described as one of the most comprehensive urban archives in the United States. Notable special collections include the Dr. Claude Elliott Texana Collection of rare Texas documents dating to the Republic of Texas era.

Journalism and Media Holdings

The HHRC holds significant materials documenting Houston's media history, including records and clippings from local newspapers, oral histories with civic and media figures, and photographic documentation of Houston's press and broadcasting history through its four million photographic holdings.

Access and Usage

The center is open to the public for research, with appointments encouraged. An online ArchivesSpace finding aid system, a digital archives portal, a photo database, and an architectural drawings database facilitate remote discovery of collections. The center is located at 550 McKinney Street in the historic Julia Ideson Building.