This 1970s Vintage Austin photo of the Zilker Christmas Tree offers reassurance that not everything has changed in Austin over the last several decades.  Beginning in 1967, the moonlight tower in Zilker Park has served as the main support for the tree. There are 39 strands of multicolored lights with a total of 3,309 lights.  The two stars on top measures ten feet from point-to-point.  The distinctive spiral design is credited to a group of City of Austin electricians. … [Read more...]

Can you imagine trying to perfect your jump shot while wearing a blouse and bowtie?  This photo highlights the University of Texas women’s basketball team.  While women played intramural basketball in previous years, beginning in 1901, Eleanor Novell arranged for the team to play one off-campus opponent each year.  This 1902 team, known as the “Town Girls,” was defeated by the “Varsity” team.  The final score, a whopping 7-4. … [Read more...]

This Vintage Austin photo includes a pair of ladies relaxing at Eliza Spring Pool.  The amphitheater was built by Andrew Zilker as a meeting place for the Elks Club.  The pool is no longer a swimming hole but instead serves as a safe habitat for the endangered Barton Springs & Austin Blind Salamanders.  The public can visit the spring and the Beverly Sheffield Education Center to learn more about the spring and its aquatic life. … [Read more...]

Dated 1936, the falls of Bull Creek.  The back of the photo reads, “The high falls near ‘Slanting Rock’ swimming hole in upper Bull Creek.  This shows about half of the falls.”  I assume the creek has morphed since the 1930s so I’m not sure which falls this photo is actually referencing as there are several along Bull Creek today.  Head out for a hike and decide for yourself which falls you think are in this photo! … [Read more...]

The vantage point for this Vintage Austin photo is near the present-day Austin American Statesman building looking north.  In the photo you can see a horse drawn carriage on the bridge (and they aren't waiting to see the bats fly!), the Capitol, and the frame of the Scarborough building, Austin’s first tower.  Located at 6th & Congress it stood eight-stories tall and is still there today. … [Read more...]

Today, the Seaholm Power Plant serves as commercial space but during the 1950s it was the sole provider of electric power for Austin.  As the city grew, Seaholm couldn’t keep up with the demand for electric power so other stations were built around town.  In 1989, Seaholm no longer provided power and in 1996 closed entirely.  In the distance of this Vintage Austin photo you can see the UT Tower.   … [Read more...]

This Vintage Austin photo is of Deep Eddy Swimming Pool.  Deep Eddy began as a natural swimming hole in the Colorado River and was expanded into a man-made pool in 1915 by A.J. Eilers.  At that time, it was a portion of the Deep Eddy Bathing Beach resort and played host to a number of attractions including a diving horse and a diving baby.  Deep Eddy is filled with fresh water (no chlorine!), is the oldest swimming pool in Texas, and is on the national register of historic places.       … [Read more...]

Constructed of the tower at the University of Texas began in 1934 and was completed in 1937.  The tower of the Main Building at the University is a well-known landmark.  The main building was originally the central library while the 27-story tower housed the book stacks.  If you wanted to make a selection, you’d first search the mammoth card catalog, then relay your choice to the front desk, and finally wait.  Waiting on the roller skate clad Tower Librarians, at their busiest, could take more than an hour and a … [Read more...]