The buildings of the University of Porto have been integrated into the urban fabric of the city over the past 100 years. They are spread out from the city center to the more peripheral areas, occupying existing buildings or being newly constructed. This continuous process of construction has led to an increase in urban activity, fueled by the movement of citizens and students in Porto for University-related activities. Given the extent of this social and spatial presence, it is understandable that the university and the city share spaces or have ambiguous areas, where the identification of boundaries is not always clear or distinct. This undefined territory represents an object that can be studied through photography.

We can say, then, that the history of a university’s presence in a city is equally the history of the city itself. In the case of the University of Porto, this history has unfolded over a span of one hundred years. It is understandable, therefore, that in terms of its infrastructure, the University has evolved in parallel with the city that hosts it. Considering the city’s predominant development over the past century, the spaces of interaction between the faculties and the city can be approached photographically as scenes of occupation, symbolic territories of this shared narrative that portray the passage of time. The areas outside the faculties, visible to any citizen, often display scenarios where the transformation from rural to residential space has not been a comprehensive process of urbanization.

The internship in Austin allowed for the continuation of research initiated in Portugal on the use of photography in constructing the memory of a university in conjunction with the city that hosts it. Similar to the relationship between the University of Porto and the city of Porto, the connection between the University of Texas and the city of Austin is also intrinsic. The research took place at the photographic archive of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. This center houses various significant documents related to key themes of the state of Texas and the United States of America.

Considering the photographic project for the centenary of the University of Porto, we find it relevant to conduct research on publications related to the centenary of the University of Texas. The institution was officially inaugurated on September 15, 1883, and the oldest publication of the university, the Cactus yearbook, documents academic life since 1895. Similar to the three editions of the University of Porto related to heritage and its relationship with the city, the content of these yearbooks primarily consists of a collection of articles from newspapers, internal publications, and other documents. However, the editorial perspective is quite different, as it focuses primarily on the life of the academic community. Nevertheless, no specific photographers or photographic projects dedicated to the commemoration are mentioned.