The Wittliff Collections

The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University stand as one of the most important repositories of photography in the United States, with a special emphasis on the visual culture of Mexico and the American Southwest. From its founding, the Wittliff has cultivated a photography collection that not only preserves the past but also charts the evolution of the medium as a vital form of artistic and cultural expression.

At the heart of the collection is the nation’s largest archive of modern and contemporary Mexican photography. Prints by foundational figures such as Lola Álvarez Bravo, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Héctor García, Kati Horna, Nacho López, Rodrigo Moya, and Mariana Yampolsky form the cornerstone of this vision. Their work provides both a historical framework and an aesthetic lineage from which newer generations of photographers continue to draw inspiration. Contemporary masters like Graciela Iturbide, Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, and Antonio Turok extend this legacy, offering deeply personal yet universally resonant images that have earned global acclaim.

Alongside these holdings, the Wittliff preserves a wide-ranging selection of photographs that highlight both regional identity and international achievement. Iconic works such as Edward Curtis’s *Geronimo* (1905), Ansel Adams’s *Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico* (1941), Yousuf Karsh’s portrait of Georgia O’Keeffe (1956), and Annie Leibovitz’s image of Willie Nelson (2001) enrich the collection with enduring cultural landmarks.

The museum also documents the careers of contemporary photographers like Keith Carter, Kate Breakey, Josephine Sacabo, and Bill Wittliff himself, ensuring that the development of their artistic voices is preserved for study and appreciation.

Technically diverse, the collection embraces silver-gelatin prints, daguerreotypes, cyanotypes, tintypes, photogravures, and digital works, demonstrating photography’s extraordinary range. Through exhibitions, research opportunities, and public engagement, the Wittliff Collections affirm photography’s power to shape memory, explore identity, and connect cultures across borders.