The AHC's vertical files are a great go-to source for basic Austin history. The vertical files comprise thousands of files that cover many topics about Austin and Travis County. Files contain printed items such as photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, brochures, press releases, short reports and more. Only a small portion of these files have been digitized and can be found on the Portal of Texas History and the Digital Collections (Preservica). They are broken up into the three categories listed below.

• Austin Subject Files - arranged alphabetically by subject with topics such as Agriculture or Barton Springs. Austin Files Subject List (PDF) denotes
  • text files with a T,
  • photographs with a P,
  • digital files with a D, and
  • recordings with an R.
• Biography Files - contain information and images about residents who have made an impact on their community. They are arranged by the names of the individuals or the surname of their family. Search by using the Austin Public Library Catalog.
• House Building Files - have information and images about structures located around the city. They are arranged by street address. Most can be searched in the Austin Public Library Catalog.

How to Find and Use

Find items using the links above, and view items in person.