Art and Architecture
Civic Buildings after the Spanish-American War
Following the 1898 Spanish-American War, the United States constructed federal buildings in its newly acquired territories, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Over a century later, many ...
American Landscapes
American Landscapes: Meditations on Art and Literature in a Changing World is a major contemporary survey of landscapes in art and literature of the United States, especially the American South. Inspired ...
Pieces of Freedom
The history of racism in America is also the history of ordinary Black Americans who accomplished extraordinary things in their pursuit of freedom. Faced with oppression throughout their journey, they ...
The Promise of Good Things
The fall and holiday season in the South are beautiful times of the year. As the sweltering heat of summer gives way to the sweetness of autumn, many feel inspired to decorate their homes for the upcoming ...
Heritage and Hoop Skirts
Winner of the 2023 John Brinckerhoff Jackson Book Prize
Winner of the 2023 UMW Center for Historic Preservation Book Prize
For over eighty years, tourists have flocked to Natchez, Mississippi, seeking ...
Rugs, Guitars, and Fiddling
What do exotic area rugs, handcrafted steel-string guitars, and fiddling have in common today? Many contemporary tradition bearers embrace complexity in form and content. They construct objects and performances ...
Worlds beyond My Window
Artist, columnist, and poet Gertrude McCarty Smith (1923–2007) of Collins, Mississippi, carried herself as a demure and proper southern lady, yet this was deceiving as she was a prolific, creative trailblazer ...
Gorey Secrets
Edward Gorey (1925–2000) was a fascinating and prolific author and artist. Of the one hundred delightful and fascinating books that Gorey wrote and illustrated, he rarely revealed their specific inspirations ...
Race and Racism in Nineteenth-Century Art
Painters Robert Duncanson (ca. 1821–1872) and Edward Bannister (1828–1901) and sculptor Mary Edmonia Lewis (ca. 1844–1907) each became accomplished African American artists. But as emerging art ...
The Nightcrawler King
While growing up in rural Indiana during World War II, William Fagaly began his first venture—collecting and selling earthworms to locals—from which he was christened with a childhood moniker. The ...