CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science (CBI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) is pleased to announce, “The Point of Beginning: A History of the Blucher Family in the Coastal Bend," an interactive exhibit about the Blucher family and their historical contributions to the Coastal Bend.
The Bluchers were a pioneering German American family who settled in Corpus Christi in the 1840s and played a significant role in the city’s growth and development. The family was particularly notable in the land surveying profession, spanning from Corpus Christi’s origins to the present day.
"The Blucher family's contributions to the Coastal Bend and land surveying are substantial”, said Dr. Rick Smith, CBI Executive Director. “This exhibit, which was developed in collaboration with Special Collections and Archives at TAMU-CC, delves into the Blucher family history and explores the lasting influence they’ve had on Corpus Christi and the surveying profession.”
The exhibit features a curated selection of maps and photographs sourced from the TAMU-CC Mary and Jeff Bell Library’s Special Collections and Archives. Offering a composite history of the Bluchers, the display traces the family’s lineage over four generations, beginning with the family's patriarch, Felix von Blucher, through endowment of the Conrad Blucher estate to Texas A&I University (later Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) to establish the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science.
To enhance the experience, the exhibit includes interactive components that are accessible online and provide context and excerpts from Blucher: A Family, a Legacy, and a Research Resource at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, written and orated by Dr. Thomas H. Kreneck, Archivist and former Director of Special Collections and Archives at TAMU-CC.
The exhibit will be on limited display at the Art Museum of South Texas’ exhibit space at the Port of Corpus Christi, located at 400 Harbor Drive in Corpus Christi, through November before being put on permanent display at the Conrad Blucher Institute.
To access the exhibit’s interactive features, visit www.tamucc.edu/library/exhibits/s/Blucher/page/POB. To view the entire Blucher Collection, visit the Mary and Jeff Bell Library Special Collections and Archives at www.tamucc.edu/library/find/special-collections.
To learn more about the Conrad Blucher Institute, visit conradblucherinstitute.org.
