Archival comparison project
Historic records are paired only with current church-specific photographs whose reuse terms have been verified. When an archive does not grant republication rights, Texas Defined links the historic item instead of copying it. Every verified church remains visible in the coverage accounting, including those still missing both sides of the comparison.
11
Archival + current pairs
6
Archival only
7
Current image only
3
Still needs both sides
Coverage accounting: 27 of 27 verified churches represented. The totals always reconcile to the canonical statewide collection.
Paired records
High Hill · Fayette County
1 archival research record · 2 rights-cleared current images
Historic lead: High Hill sanctuary (2014) · Library of Congress — Carol M. Highsmith Archive
Current image: Mike Fisher · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Open church comparisonAmmannsville · Fayette County
3 archival research records · 2 rights-cleared current images
Historic lead: Sanctuary reredo detail (2006) · The Portal to Texas History — Photographing Texas
Current image: Larry D. Moore · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Open church comparisonPraha · Fayette County
4 archival research records · 2 rights-cleared current images
Historic lead: Interior looking north (May 1977) · The Portal to Texas History / Texas Historical Commission
Current image: Kyle G. Sweeney · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Open church comparisonDubina · Fayette County
3 archival research records · 4 rights-cleared current images
Historic lead: Dubina interior detail — Portal record metapth28467 · The Portal to Texas History / Photographing Texas
Current image: Mike Fisher · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Open church comparisonUmbarger · Randall County
2 archival research records · 1 rights-cleared current image
Historic lead: St. Mary's Umbarger Commons category · Wikimedia Commons
Current image: Ammodramus · Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 / public domain dedication
Open church comparisonLindsay · Cooke County
2 archival research records · 1 rights-cleared current image
Historic lead: St. Peter's Lindsay interior — 1972 THC historic-resources survey · The Portal to Texas History / Texas Historical Commission
Current image: Michael Barera · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Open church comparisonFredericksburg · Gillespie County
1 archival research record · 2 rights-cleared current images
Historic lead: St. Mary's Fredericksburg interior detail — 1980 THC National Register survey · The Portal to Texas History / Texas Historical Commission
Current image: Pisi.de · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Open church comparisonSt. Mary’s · Lavaca County
1 archival research record · 1 rights-cleared current image
Historic lead: Immaculate Conception, St. Mary's Lavaca exact Commons file · Wikimedia Commons / Wikidata
Current image: 25or6to4 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Open church comparisonShiner · Lavaca County
1 archival research record · 1 rights-cleared current image
Historic lead: Texas Historical Commission photograph · The Portal to Texas History
Current image: 25or6to4 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Open church comparisonSerbin · Lee County
1 archival research record · 2 rights-cleared current images
Historic lead: St. Paul Lutheran Church Commons category · Wikimedia Commons
Current image: Pete unseth · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Open church comparisonSan Antonio · Bexar County
1 archival research record · 2 rights-cleared current images
Historic lead: St. Joseph apse and frescoed interior · The Portal to Texas History / San Antonio Conservation Society
Current image: Michael Barera · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Open church comparisonRights-clearing queue
1 exact archival/research record is already linked. Texas Defined is still withholding a modern embedded image until an exact subject and item-level reusable license are both established.
1 exact archival/research record is already linked. Texas Defined is still withholding a modern embedded image until an exact subject and item-level reusable license are both established.
1 exact archival/research record is already linked. Texas Defined is still withholding a modern embedded image until an exact subject and item-level reusable license are both established.
1 exact archival/research record is already linked. Texas Defined is still withholding a modern embedded image until an exact subject and item-level reusable license are both established.
1 exact archival/research record is already linked. Texas Defined is still withholding a modern embedded image until an exact subject and item-level reusable license are both established.
1 exact archival/research record is already linked. Texas Defined is still withholding a modern embedded image until an exact subject and item-level reusable license are both established.
Archive research queue
1 current rights-cleared image is available. The next research task is an exact historical photograph, survey image or other church-specific archival visual record with provenance.
1 current rights-cleared image is available. The next research task is an exact historical photograph, survey image or other church-specific archival visual record with provenance.
1 current rights-cleared image is available. The next research task is an exact historical photograph, survey image or other church-specific archival visual record with provenance.
1 current rights-cleared image is available. The next research task is an exact historical photograph, survey image or other church-specific archival visual record with provenance.
1 current rights-cleared image is available. The next research task is an exact historical photograph, survey image or other church-specific archival visual record with provenance.
2 current rights-cleared images are available. The next research task is an exact historical photograph, survey image or other church-specific archival visual record with provenance.
1 current rights-cleared image is available. The next research task is an exact historical photograph, survey image or other church-specific archival visual record with provenance.
Open visual-research queue
These churches remain fully verified members of the historical collection. Their absence from the paired gallery reflects image provenance or licensing gaps—not uncertainty about church identity. Texas Defined will not fill these slots with generic church photography.
St. John · Fayette County
Research priority: locate an exact archival visual record and an exact modern photograph with item-level reusable rights.
Castroville · Medina County
Research priority: locate an exact archival visual record and an exact modern photograph with item-level reusable rights.
La Coste · Medina County
Research priority: locate an exact archival visual record and an exact modern photograph with item-level reusable rights.
Methodology
The historic and current images do not have to share an identical camera angle. The purpose is to document the church across time while preserving source provenance, restoration context and image rights. A search thumbnail, category page or unattributed repost is never enough to publish an image.