The UTSA Special Collections photograph collection is one of the largest and most-frequently explored resources within the department. With over three million photographs, the collection originates from commercial photographers, personal papers, organizational records and archives. Photographic holdings include two large collections from area newspapers, San Antonio Express-News and San Antonio Light, covering topics such as: historic views of San Antonio, small towns in South Central Texas, communities and culture, daily life, street scenes, family photographs, portraits, events and architecture.

In celebration for the city’s Tricentennial, La Puerta: A Photographic Journey of San Antonio showcases a selection of images from the General Photograph Collection, the Zintgraff Studios Photograph Collection, the Gil Barrera Photographs of UTSA, the UTSA Office of University Communications Photographs as well as pictures from the San Antonio Express-News and San Antonio Light. La Puerta opens the door to the past, with images from as early as the 1860s, reflecting the people, places, events, and culture that make the Alamo city unique.