Past Exhibits/Archives
From legendary Texas characters like Davy Crockett, to the Texas-sized fervor surrounding such popular state past times as baseball and high school football, movies, television, and music, to art in the form of photography, paintings, and quilts – the Museum has explored the Texas identity through eleven years of special exhibitions.
Catch up on what you missed!
Texas Music Roadtrip
March 17 - October 14, 2012
From the explosion of '30s jazz in Dallas's Deep Ellum, to the emergence of '50s Rock and Roll in the Panhandle, to the rise of zydeco, tejano, and country rock. This special exhibition explored the people and places that put Texas music on the map. Read more.
Texas High School Football: More Than the Game
July 30, 2011 – January 22, 2012
From the players and parents, to the band and cheerleaders, fans and fanatics, this exhibit explored the phenomenon that is high school football in Texas and how for at least a few hours every week in the fall, Texas high school football is the glue that transcends cultural, ethnic, and spiritual differences to define us all as Texan.
Arte en la Charrería: The Artisanship of Mexican Equestrian Culture
Organized by International Arts & Artists
February 19 – June 5, 2011
Long before cowboys in the Lone Star State gained iconic status in American lore, the charro – or Mexican cowboy – established a culture in Texas with a nearly 500-year-old heritage dating back to the introduction of horses and cattle to the New World. With more than 120 examples of the excellent craftsmanship and design distinctive to the Mexican cowboy, this exhibition introduced Museum visitors to the work of unique Mexican artisans who manufacture the articles and costumes that embellish and distinguish the charro tradition.
Tango Alpha Charlie: Texas Aviation Celebration
September 12, 2010 – January 9, 2011
The history of aviation in Texas is the story of industry innovation, record-setting achievements, gravity-defying feats, and the soaring human spirit. In celebration of the centennial anniversary of the first Texas flight, this exhibit told the story of how Texas continues to be a leader in aviation manufacturing, hospitality, science exploration and scholarship, driving the global economy with new research and billions of dollars in revenue.
Texas Treasure: Inside Our Governor's Mansion
June 5 - August 1, 2010
This special look at the Texas Governor's Mansion chronicled the ongoing life and history of the state landmark from the time of Sam Houston to the devastating arson fire of 2008, exploring the stories of the people who have lived, worked and visited there—stories that come alive through music, videos, original artifacts and documents that offer a never-before-seen look inside the Governor's Mansion.
American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music
February 13 - May 9, 2010
Created by Experience Music Project in partnership with the University of Washington, this exhibit told the story of the profound influence and impact of Latinos in American popular music by highlighting five major centers of Latino popular music: New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, San Antonio and San Francisco.
A Legacy of Quilts: The Briscoe Center's Joyce Gross Collection
November 21, 2009 - January 3, 2010
Spanning more than 100 years of this enduring American art form and featuring 28 quilts from the Gross Collection from the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin, this exhibit presented one of America's most beloved artistic traditions, stories written with fabric, needle, thread and loving hands.
Forgotten Gateway: Coming to America Through Galveston Island
February 21 - October 11, 2009
Forgotten Gateway presented the story of Galveston as one of America's top ten transoceanic ports of entry into Texas and the US during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Through an array of photographs, film footage, graphics, narratives, hands-on interactive experiences, and historic artifacts, the exhibit brought together individual stories that illustrated the experience of coming to America through Texas.
Following its exhibition at the Bullock Museum the exhibit embarked on a national tour to other institutions, including Moody Gardens in Galveston and the Ellis Island Museum in New York City.
Cowboys and Presidents
October 19, 2008 - January 4, 2009
From Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Bush, United States presidents have used the powerful iconographic symbol of the heroic American cowboy to define themselves and their administrations to the nation and the world. The exhibit — organized by the Autry National Center, Los Angeles, CA — explored the fascinating and ongoing intersection of cowboy culture and presidential politics, revealing the impact of cowboy imagery in both domestic and international contexts through photographs, political cartoons, motion pictures, and newsreels.
Dallas: Power & Passion on Primetime TV
May 31-September 14, 2008
A wealthy Texas oil family, the Ewings, captured the imagination of the U.S. and the world through the unforgettable primetime television saga, Dallas. Opening 30 years after the program first went on the air, the special exhibition spotlighted the show's enduring legacy by featuring props, artifacts loaned from actors including Larry Hagman and Steve Kanaly, scripts, television clips, and a recreated environment from the program's thirteen seasons.
Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives
February 16 - April 20, 2008
The Museum was the only venue in Texas where visitors could view some of the nation's most powerful historical records -- rarely-displayed documents, audio recordings, and film footage from the extensive holdings of the National Archives and its Presidential Libraries and Regional Archives.
In Citizen’s Garb: Southern Plains Native Americans, 1889–1891
September 15, 2007 - January 6, 2008
In addition to historical objects and examples of clothing from the period, the exhibition contained 53 photographs (modern re-strikes made from original glass negatives) taken from 1889 to 1891 by the team of William J. Lenny and William L. Sawyers, that demonstrate how dress and life changed for the Kiowa and Comanche tribes as they gradually adjusted to the new way of life required by the U.S. government.
Made to Walk the Skies: Texas & Space Travel
May 26 - August 12, 2007
From the early Gemini, Apollo and Skylab projects to today's Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs, Texas continues to play a leading role in human space exploration. This special exhibit chronicled the state's role in space exploration by featuring historic equipment and the compelling stories including mission control panel, space suits, and lunar samples.
Revealing Character: Robb Kendrick's Texas Tintypes
February 17 - April 19, 2007
Since 2004, Texas-born photographer Robb Kendrick has been capturing images of those cowboys via the tintype, a 19th-century photographic method. Curated by Margaret Blagg, executive director of the Old Jail Art Center in Albany, the exhibition featured 66 tintypes of cowboys and cowgirls taken all over the Lone Star State plus 12 enlarged prints.
Paula Chamlee: High Plains Farm
March 3 - April 19, 2007
Photographer Paula Chamlee presented a visually stunning and emotionally powerful focus on the Texas farm, revealing a way of life that is quickly vanishing. The collection comprises a portrait of the habits, ethics, and value system that embody the spirit and struggles of an older generation of Panhandle farmers and ranchers.
Miss Ima's Quilts
October 28, 2006 - January 7, 2007
Miss Ima Hogg [1882-1975] was a visionary collector, preservationist, and philanthropist. To highlight her vision as a collector, this special exhibition showcased an extraordinary selection of twenty-five quilts from Miss Ima's collection that ranged in date from the late 1700s to the early 1900s and represented one of the most popular and enduring folk art traditions in America.
It STILL Ain't Braggin' If It's True
May 27 - September 10, 2006
In celebration of its fifth anniversary, the Museum presented an encore look at the opening year exhibit, It Ain't Braggin' if It's True. Just as in the original Braggin' exhibit, STILL Ain't Braggin' explored the qualities of Vision, Friendship, Perseverance, Pride, Showmanship, and Swagger through one-of-a-kind objects (like the rhinestone-studded Cadillac) and the stories they tell.
A Slave Ship Speaks: The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie
February 11- April 15, 2006
Organized by the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society, this poignant and powerful exhibit brought to the surface artifacts recovered from the wreck of the British merchant slave ship, the Henrietta Marie, which sank about 35 miles off the coast of Key West in 1700. Through interactive displays and hundreds of artifacts, this moving exhibit examined the economic and social forces that drove the slave trade and provided insight into its impact of the material life and culture of Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
The Face of Texas
October 1, 2005 - January 8, 2006
Austin photographer Michael O'Brien spent two decades capturing the "face of Texas" in photographs that celebrate the individuality and independent spirit of Texas. Forty-three large-scale photographs featured a fascinating and diverse array of native and adoptive Texans, from powerful big-city movers to unique small-town characters.
Texas Movies
July 9 - September 5, 2005
From the first documentary footage ever captured of the Galveston Hurricane in 1900 to the recent explosion in filmmaking activities, Texas has made significant cinematic contributions over the past 100 years. The exhibit paid tribute to movies made in the Lone Star State and shined a spotlight on Texas' own homegrown filmmakers, from the unique vision of contemporary directors like Richard Linklater (Slacker), Robert Rodriquez (Spy Kids, Sin City), Tim McCanlies (Secondhand Lions, Dancer, Texas Pop. 81) and Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore) to the work of historic Texas-based production companies, including the early westerns of the Star Film Ranch, Spanish language films made along the border, and rare films from the 1940s produced by Sack Film Amusement in Dallas.
Drawn From Experience: Landmark Maps Of Texas
February 19 - June 5, 2005
This presentation of more than 60 historic maps (several of which had never before been on display) as well as modern maps created through cutting-edge technology like holography and satellite imaging traced the evolution of the shape of Texas through 500 years of mapmaking -- from the sixteenth century to the present day.
Go West: Selections From The Jack S. Blanton Museum Of Art, C.R. Smith Collection
October 16, 2004 - January 9, 2005
Visitors discovered the drama and majesty of the American West as it appeared over 100 years ago. This exhibition of more than 50 paintings showed how the events, landscapes, and people of the new frontier captured the imagination of such celebrated artists as Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Charles Russell, Henry Farny and Maynard Dixon. These painters traveled west to document images of breathtaking vistas and romantic valor, creating a new genre of art.
Texas Flags: 1836 - 1945
February 28 - August 22, 2004
Most are familiar with the six flags of Texas, but over the years countless other banners have served the Lone Star State, flying over forts, accompanying men into battle and symbolizing significant passages in history. Organized by the Center for Texas Studies at Texas Christian University, this exhibition explored the history, symbolism and events behind 30 rare banners, including flags from the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, the Civil War, the Buffalo Soldiers, Texas battalions that fought in WWII, and more.
Play Ball! Texas Baseball
June 14, 2003 - January 4, 2004
The sport of baseball — known as America's "national pastime" — holds a special place in the hearts of Texans and the history of the Lone Star State. This special exhibit captured the excitement of the game with artifacts like original uniforms, equipment, stadium details, mascots, memorabilia, and featured pioneers of the game including native Texan baseball Hall of Famers like superstar pitcher Nolan Ryan, Rube Foster, founder of the Negro National League in 1920, and Austin's own Willie Wells, an African-American shortstop who pioneered the use of the batting helmet.
How the West Was Worn
February 22 - May 4, 2003
From buckskins and rhinestones, to cowboy boots and blue jeans, western wear has played a unique role in the history of Texas, embodying the free spirit, rugged individualism and personal freedom of the American West. Organized the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, this exhibit showcased over 150 items of clothing along with photography, period advertising and design sketches that told the story of how western attire grew in popularity and changed over the years to reflect the evolution of the West itself.
Country Music From The Lone Star State
September 28, 2002 - January 5, 2003
Organized in cooperation with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, this exhibition traced the roots of Texas country music from the songs of early settlers to modern-day performers, and featured artifacts, instruments, and costumes from some Texas's biggest stars like Bob Wills, Roy Orbison, Townes Van Zandt, Flaco Jiménez, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and the Dixie Chicks.
Sunrise In His Pocket: The Life, Legend & Legacy of Davy Crockett
March 2 - August 18, 2002
Known as a legendary frontiersman, a backwoods congressman, a martyred hero and a pop culture icon, Davy Crockett has been an integral part of the American and Texan identity. Organized in conjunction with the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, the exhibit paid homage to both the man and the myth by displaying artifacts from Crockett's life along with objects that reflect his ongoing influence in American culture.
It Ain't Braggin' If It's True
April 21 - December 31, 2001
Texas history is about more than facts and figures – it's also about incredible artifacts and the amazing stories behind them. The Museum's inaugural special exhibit paid tribute to the distinctive character of the Lone Star State by telling amazing stories that served as testament to the "braggin' rights" of Texas: Valor, Vision, Pride, Perseverance, Swagger and Showmanship.
