The Great Storm of 1900: the first ever museum exhibition that has solely focused on the Storm at the Rosenberg Library.

The Great Storm of 1900 explores the destruction and recovery of Galveston after being struck by the most deadly natural disaster in U.S. history. This dark and moody exhibit features 32 iconic black and white images from the Galveston and Texas History Center, evoking a sense of empathy and vulnerability. This exhibit doesn’t shy away from thought provoking ideologies around class and race, displaying the exploitation of vulnerable populations throughout the recovery process, often with fatal consequences. Concluding with relief efforts from well-known local and national icons such as Henry Cohen and Clara Barton, the exhibit ends in newfound hope and resiliency of re-building Galveston Island.

The Galveston & Texas History Center is the nation's main repository for materials related to the 1900 Storm. Including a comprehensive collection of manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, maps and a list of recorded deaths, it provides graphic evidence of the carnage that was left in the wake of the storm. For more information about the 1900 Storm, please visit The Galveston and Texas History Center's website at www.galvestonhistorycenter.org

Exhibition Highlights

An interactive touch screen that allows you to read a handwritten account from survivor Sarah Helen Littlejohn. Littlejohn was only 8 years old at the time when she wrote her account only days after surviving the storm.
An interactive touch screen that allows you to listen to oral histories from three different survivors. Listen to each one and learn about their experiences before and after the storm.
32 iconic black and white images from the Galveston and Texas History Center.
A memorial wall listing over 2,000 victims’ names individually.

Show us your favorite part of the exhibit, or share your family’s 1900 history with us by tagging your photos with #GreatStorm1900.

The exhibit is located on the 4th floor in the Harris Gallery at The Rosenberg Library. It can be viewed during regular library hours, 9:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday. No appointment needed.