The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 70, July 1966 - April, 1967 Page: 156

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

by the public. In his field, Barnstone has done a remarkably fine
piece of work and, with the help of two outstanding photog-
raphers, he has produced a beautiful book. One may have reser-
vations and questions regarding a few inclusions and omissions,
such as the scenes of the decadence of man which are found in
every city and add nothing to the purpose of a book on architec-
ture. Much space is given to the Nicholas Clayton wing of the
Ursuline Convent which was razed in 1962 and the fact that
the convent was used as a hospital during the battle of Gal-
veston in the Civil War. But no mention is made of the fact
that it was the still standing older part which was used as a hos-
pital, where young Sidney Sherman died. Most individuals con-
sider this older portion much more interesting and architecturally
appealing than the fantastic Clayton addition of a later period.
The author, Visiting Critic at the Yale University School of
Architecture and Professor of Architecture at the University of
Houston, is said to have fallen in love with Galveston's splendid
old buildings when he passed through on his way to Mexico (gen-
erally, this is difficult to do, but we are grateful that Barnstone
accomplished it). Later he returned to share his discovery with
James J. Sweeney, newly arrived in Houston from the Guggen-
heim Museum in New York to direct the Museum of Fine
Arts. The idea for a book on old Galveston was born. All Texans,
and particularly Galvestonians, should be grateful to Barnstone
for rescuing from oblivion and making a record of the gracious
nineteenth-century way of life on the island. Every collector of
Texana should add this book to his library.
ANNE A. BRINDLEY
Galveston, Texas
Lyceum to Library: A Chapter in the Cultural History of Hous-
ton. By Orin Walker Hatch. Houston (Texas Gulf Coast
Historical Association), 1965. Pp. viii+73. Illustrations, pho-
tographs, appendix, bibliography, index. $3.00.
The history of public library development in Texas almost
invariably leads to one or more of three sets of roots: the lyceum
movement, women's club activity, and Andrew Carnegie's philan-
thropy. This brief work on the forerunners to Houston's public
library shows that that library was no exception.

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