A private collection of some of the oldest and rarest maps of Texas is now available to the public, thanks to a unique digitization project using Contex scanning solutions. High-quality digital reprints of historic Texas maps, donated by the Frank and Carol Holcomb to the Texas General Land office, are available for sale for as little as $20.

The Contex HD iFLEX picks up precise details from originals of all shapes and sizes, including books.

The General Land Office digitized the Holcomb’s map collection, providing access to more than 70 important historic maps of Texas, the United States and the Western Hemisphere. The collection includes many maps that show Texas and the Southwest dating to 1513, making them the oldest maps in the collection at the General Land Office Archives and Records.

Archiving Historic Maps

When antique collections are donated to the General Land Office, the items are conserved, then scanned using Contex wide format scanning solutions. The General Land Office make the historic pieces available to the public via the Internet as part of the Digital Preservation Project of the Save Texas History Program. It’s a unique campaign that brings together private and government efforts to preserve the 35.5 million maps and documents at the Texas General Land Office. The program has been recognized by the Texas Historical Commission for its monumental effort to digitally preserve these historical treasures.

The Contex HD 5450 captures precise details in artwork, maps and other color- and detail-rich documents, without any document length limit.

The Contex wide format scanning solutions capture the precise details of originals, especially delicate maps. The GLO uses both the HD iFLEX flatbed and HD 5450 wide format scanners, depending on the requirements of the originals. The Contex HD 5450 wide format scanner captures the precise details in artwork, maps and other detail-rich original, without any document length limit. The Contex HD iFLEX flatbed scanner captures any shape or size original to create a digital archive of the most fragile pieces.

The Frank and Carol Holcomb Map Collection will be searchable at www.savetexashistory.org, just like the other 45,000 maps housed at the GLO, as well as thousands of additional maps that the General Land Office has scanned for other public institutions and private collectors. All proceeds from the sales help Save Texas History, a public-private effort to preserve and digitize the massive collection of maps and historical documents in the Archives of the General Land Office.

For more information, contact Contex at 877-2-CONTEX or SalesAmericas@contex.com.