The Texas Post Office Murals: Art for the People (Joe and Betty Moore Texas Art Series) [Hardcover]

Philip Parisi (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The themes, images, and artists of the Texas Post Office murals now have a masterful reference work thanks to Philip Parisi. This great public art came out of the Great Depression. Some are lost; others, destroyed. But Parisi accounts for all of them and tells numerous fascinating stories about their creation.”--Clyde A. Milner II, Director, Heritage Studies Ph.D. Program, Arkansas State University

(Clyde A. Milner II, Director, Heritage Studies Ph.D. Program, Arkansas State Uni )

About the Author

Philip Parisi, who now lives in Logan, Utah, and is a freelance writer and visiting assistant editor of the Western Historical Quarterly, began work on this manuscript while on the staff of the Texas Historical Commission. He directed a project that involved assembling a collection of slides of the extant murals and tracing the history of this WPA project.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: TAMU Press; 1 edition (April 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585442313
• ISBN-13: 978-1585442317
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #653,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ART AND HISTORY COMBINED, May 25, 2004

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Texas Post Office Murals: Art for the People (Joe and Betty Moore Texas Art Series) (Hardcover)

You know the old saying, "One Man's Meat Is Another Man's Poison." Well, one man's art, in the case of surrealism, abstractionism, and a number of other forms, may be another man's anathema. However, it's a good bet to say that this collection of post office murals found in Texas holds every man's art.

These murals began during FDR's New Deal program that mandated a public relief program to provide jobs for unemployed artists. These artists were hired to create and paint murals in federal buildings throughout our country. This mandate was two fold - to provide the artist's with an income and to provide Depression weary Americans with objects offering hope and inspiration.

In this collection by Philip Parisi one finds 100 full-color paintings discovered in 69 Texas post offices. Subjects of the paintings are varied, ranging from Sam Houston to Quanah Parker, from cowboys to Longhorns, from pioneers to industry. Artist represented included such well known names as Tom Lea, Jerry Bywaters and Alexandre Hogue.

More than works of art these murals represent our history.

- Gail Cooke

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Post Office Art Gallery, August 7, 2009

By 

Morris C. Matson "Art Accumulator" (Fort Worth) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Texas Post Office Murals: Art for the People (Joe and Betty Moore Texas Art Series) (Hardcover)

Read this book. Enjoy the beautiful images. Laugh at the local bureaucrats who didn't understand the value of decorating their Post Office with visual images of our history. Remember the Post Office when it was efficient and relevant.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on unusual art, January 12, 2009

By 

Jimmy Parsons "jimus83" (Houston area) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Texas Post Office Murals: Art for the People (Joe and Betty Moore Texas Art Series) (Hardcover)

Gave this as a gift, and it was well received. Recommend it for anyone who grew up in Texas, particularly smaller towns where they would be more likely to recognize the art in their local Post Office.