The Texas State Archives is the official archives of Texas state government. The collections of the Archives comprise the essential documentary evidence of the history of Texas, spanning three centuries, six national governments, and at least a dozen different languages. Major and unique collections at the Texas Archives include the records of the executive and legislative branches of Texas government dating back to 1836; the records of the judicial branch dating back to 1840; nearly 2500 collections of private manuscripts; a Texana book collection of 35,000 volumes; a prints and photographs collection of 700,000 Texas images; and a Texas map collection with approximately 9,000 historic maps.