"Describes, analyzes, and contextualizes the courthouses and other public buildings of James Riely Gordon, an architect working in Texas in the late nineteenth century who went on to establish his reputation at a national level. Includes photographs and illustrations"--Provided by publisher.

An intimate biography of a great American writer

“Inside Texas: Culture, Identity and Houses, 1878–1920” is a 464 page book with 296 photos that tests and rejects the notion that Texas homes, like all things Texan, were unique and different. Over the 40 year time span covered by the book, decorating ideas nationally and in Texas went from the era of Victorianism with “all that stuff” to the spare, clean lines of the arts and crafts movement. By 1920, like Americans across the country, many Texans, especially the wealthier, were taking their decorating ideas from the new professionals – architects and designers – and their homes reflected less their own identity than the taste and eye of the decorator. In seven years of research, Brandimarte traveled the state, collecting photographs of interiors of Texas homes – rare in comparison to exterior views. The images reprinted here are arranged neither in chronological order nor according to decorating style but by identities –occupation, family, ethnicity, social group, region, culture and refinement, class and style. Brief biographical information about the homeowners is incorporated into the text. “Inside Texas” is about people and houses. It is social history, a significant contribution to scholarship, an invaluable resource for preservationist, docents, architects and designers as well as a book to be treasured by anyone who loves old houses.

With a history more than 290 years old, San Antonio boasts a diverse, eclectic, and important architectural inventory. From the Spanish Missions of the 17th century to invigorating adaptation and restoration of historic buildings alongside landmark new construction, there is a wide array of culturally significant assets reflecting Anglo and Hispanic traditions, alongside regional variations of southern and southwestern American styles. San Antonio Architecture is the comprehensive catalog of the architecture inventory of the city. Complete with color illustrations, keyed maps, and informative essays, it is a must-have book for every armchair and on foot architectural, art, and community historian. Edited by Julius M. Gribou, AIA; Robert G. Hanley, AIA; and Thomas E. Robey, AIA; with architectural text written by Lewis F. Fisher and Maria Watson Pfeiffer.

Along with the settlement of the Texas frontier came rustlers, public drunks, gunfighters, and other outlaws. A jail in which to incarcerate the lawbreakers was thus often the first public building raised in a new town. Later, as government developed, public buildings—notably county courthouses and jails—assumed not only practical but also symbolic importance. The architecture of these buildings in the nineteenth century reflected the power and status with which the community imbued the government; many of the same architects applied the aesthetic standards of the day to both. In later years, the safety and at least limited comfort of the prisoners became concerns and jails were remodeled or abandoned to other uses in favor of modern, more utilitarian structures. In this heavily illustrated guide to the historic county jails of Texas, Ed Blackburn Jr. takes readers to each of the 254 counties in the state, presenting brief histories and of the counties and their structures that housed their criminals. He provides general information about the architecture and location of the buildings and, when possible, describes the present uses of those that have been decommissioned. Interviews with local officials, historians, and newspaper publishers have yielded colorful anecdotes for many of the jails. Revealing photographs of many of the old jails have been gathered from local and archival sources, and Blackburn himself has taken pictures of extant buildings. Together, these words and images not only provide a survey of the way Texans have housed their criminals, but also, with the aid of thumbnail maps of county locations, offer residents and tourists throughout the state a guide to a fascinating aspect of architectural and cultural history.