Take a Tour of The Portal to Texas History

Join us on this tour, and get to know some of the features and capabilities of the Portal. Please note: You can navigate through each set of examples by clicking on the text links or the sides of the images.

Overview

Since its creation in 2004, The Portal to Texas History has connected millions of users around the world with collections housed in Texas.

In the Portal you may discover anything from an ancestor's picture to a rare historical map.

Whether you're here for a casual look or you want to conduct in-depth research, we have you covered.

The Portal to Texas History
Search

Choose one of the 7 links below to see an example.
In the Portal your initial search will automatically cover descriptive item records and the full text of printed items.

For more complicated queries, use our advanced, guided, or proximity search interfaces.

You can also:
- Limit your search to specific fields in the item records.
- Filter your results.
- Display your results as a list.
- Display your results as a grid.
- Change how your results are sorted.
Need more help with search?

Live Search Tour Results Guide
Search Features
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Explore

Choose one of the 8 examples below to see a corresponding screenshot.
Besides searching, we provide a number of ways to browse our content. Here are the different ways for you to start exploring the Portal:
- Overview
- Collections
- Partners
- Locations
- Subjects
- Types
- Dates
- Titles
Getting There

Explore pages are available from the drop-down menu at the top of any page on the site.
Browse:
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Items

Learn the who, what, when, and where of items!
You can learn all about an item by viewing its descriptive record. All of our item records follow the same basic pattern: each begins with a contextual overview and then presents information in grouped categories, making it easy to find important details. We try hard to both show and link to relations with other items in the Portal as well.
- Who shows you the creator, rights holder, and any important people named in the item.
- What describes the original item and provides subjects and keywords.
- When provides dates related to the original item and its maintenance in the Portal.
- Where lists and maps locations related to the content.
Overview of Item
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Read, View, Watch, Listen

Choose one of the 4 examples linked below to see a corresponding screenshot.
You can always find how to use an item by following the prompts. It's easy to:
- Read text or handwritten items.
- View photos or maps.
- Watch films or videos.
- Listen to audio recordings.
Using an Item
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Dig Deeper

The 7 examples linked below have corresponding screenshots.
Our interface provides special features for some types of items.
- You can search inside text items that were originally typeset and printed. We will highlight your search terms so you can quickly pinpoint them on the pages.
- You can see all pages in an item at one time.
- You can download images in a variety of sizes.
- For certain items, you can download PDFs.
- You can make a little more viewing space by hiding the navigation bar on the left side of the screen. Don't worry; you can make it reappear if you change your mind later.
If you are quantitatively inclined, we also have statistics for you.
More Interaction
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Cite, Re-use, Share

Give credit!
When you find that perfect item in the Portal that answers a question, connects a bit of information with another, or is simply cool, we try to make it easy for you to:
- Use our suggested citation.
- Embed images, video, and audio.
- Link items on social media.
Sharing With the World
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Give Back

Participate with us!
Now that you know the Portal a little better, we encourage you to think about giving back.
- Tell a friend about us.
- Provide more information about Portal items by submitting feedback.
- Share your own collection by becoming a Portal Partner.
- Support us financially with a gift to the Cathy Nelson Hartman Portal to Texas History Endowment.
Ways to Give Back

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