Houston – Some of Texas’s most fascinating historical artifacts are stepping out of storage and into the spotlight.
Right now, visitors can get a rare look at items that are usually kept carefully preserved inside the vaults at The Bryan Museum in Galveston. The special exhibit, called From the Vault, features historic documents and personal items tied to some of the biggest names in Texas history. The exhibit runs through April 19.
Among the standout pieces is a saddle wallet that once belonged to Sam Houston. His name is tooled directly onto the leather, and historians say it was something he personally carried and used.
Preserving artifacts like this is a delicate process. Curators say items made of leather, paper, or early photographic materials can easily deteriorate when exposed to light for long periods of time. That’s why many pieces can’t remain on display year-round and are instead stored in carefully controlled conditions inside the museum’s vault.
Another rare item now on view is what’s believed to be the first photograph ever taken of Sam Houston in Texas. The image is a glass plate photograph, an early form of photography that is extremely fragile and sensitive to light. Because of the chemical process used to create the image, curators say the photograph can darken over time if exposed too often.
Visitors can also see a handwritten letter from Stephen F. Austin to James Bowie. The letter is dated October 7, 1835, just months before the events that would lead to the Battle of the Alamo.
Another interesting piece on display is a compass that belonged to Everett Townsend, often called the “father of Big Bend.” Townsend played a key role in the early efforts to protect the land that would eventually become Big Bend National Park.
These artifacts are only a small sample of what the museum holds in its massive collection. In fact, only about 10 percent of the museum’s holdings are on display at any given time.
The Bryan Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests can walk up and purchase tickets for a self-guided visit, while groups interested in a docent-led tour are encouraged to call ahead.
For Texas history fans, it’s a rare chance to see pieces of the past that are usually kept behind locked doors. The ‘From the Vault’ exhibition runs through April 19th.