Ya’ll all know I’ve been fascinated the past few months with the New Deal architecture. I was recently lunching with a history professor and telling her about this new passion and she exclaimed, “I was shaped by the New Deal!”… Read More ›
Building Types
Mississippi by Air: Natchez-Vidalia Bridge
After Suzassippi’s recent post about the New Deal Natchez-Vidalia Bridge and its toll plaza, I realized I had a postcard that would show the relationship better than we can see today with the new highway right-of-ways.
Village Apartments: Mid-century surviving on Ole Miss campus
Whether you call it a masonry screen or a concrete block screen, I sort of fell in love with them first when Malvaney (not the original) wrote In Praise of Masonry Screens. Then, Thomas Rosell whetted my appetite with a little Screen… Read More ›
Updating two MissPres Architectural Words of the Week
If you are like me you are always searching for examples of past MissPres Architectural Words of the Week. I recently found two that will hopefully get all y’all’s creative juices flowing for the weekend. The Standard Oil Building in… Read More ›
Miss Pres Architectural Word of the Week: English Bond
AWOTW is back this week! I had a word request from our very own E.L. Malvaney. Sent along with this image was the following text: “To get the ball rolling again with requests for word of the week, Susasippi’s Hazelhurst… Read More ›
Rural Mississippi–From Early Days to Present
The mural by Lucile Blanch in the Tylertown post office can claim something that few other post offices can. Not only did the artist (also known as Lucille Blanch, Lucile Lunquist Blanch, Lucile Lundquist-Blanch, and Lucille Lundquist-Blanch) actually paint the… Read More ›
Dedicated to the People: Natchez-Vidalia Bridge
On making my first trip to Natchez several years ago, I was curious as to why there was a circular “park” just before one crossed the Mississippi bridge to Vidalia. It is next to the tourist information building, and I… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 4-22-2013
Just because I took a week off from doing a roundup doesn’t mean that the news took a break. Events are still on the calendar – and I hope that in the next round up we get to share a… Read More ›
Magnolia: Three New Deal Murals in One Post Office
This week, we profile the seventh of the 32 post office in Mississippi which were built, and decorated with “art for the people” under the auspices of the New Deal Administration. Magnolia boasts three murals (“… one of a handful… Read More ›
An unfinished church on my list of places to see
Maybe you saw this feature on 60 Minutes a few weeks ago, but even so you might want to watch it again. Gaudi’s amazing, weird, symbolic, genius Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona is the longest architectural project currently under construction,… Read More ›
Life in the Mississippi Cotton Belt
Auriel Bessemer’s 1939 mural is one of a number of Mississippi post office murals, commissioned through the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts program, that depicted the cotton industry in the state. Bessemer, daughter of Hungarian immigrants, was from Grand… Read More ›
Crystal Springs Tomatropolis: Henry La Cagnina’s Harvest
Crystal Springs, Mississippi was once known as the “Tomatropolis of the World” (and had a big tomato-shaped sign to prove it) and was the largest shipper of tomatoes in the United States (LaTricia M. Nelson-Easley. 2007. Images of America: Copiah… Read More ›
Happy Rosenwald Day!
March 22 is to be observed as Rosenwald School Day in Mississippi in the 3,416 negro schools of the state, when special programs covering all phases of negro education and community endeavor will be presented.
2013 Grants for Rosenwald Schools
The National Trust has announced a new round of grants up to $20,000 for Rosenwald Schools. Applications are due April 15, 2013.
The Living New Deal Project
The Living New Deal Project, University of California-Berkeley, is an ambitious project with two primary goals: to map and describe every New Deal Project in the United States in one location, easily accessible to people, and to publicize how we… Read More ›
Bay St. Louis Theater Receives Award
You may have heard that the Bay St. Louis Little Theater is one of the recipients of a 2013 Governor’s Arts Awards. The award is in the category of “Arts In Community.” You might remember back during 2010, Malvaney reported… Read More ›
A new header for MissPres.com’s 4th year
Two weeks ago we quietly celebrated the fourth birthday of MissPres.com with a great article about the early conversations regarding the first restoration the Old Capitol. Discussing the Old Capitol has become an anniversary tradition. Another anniversary tradition has been the introduction of a… Read More ›
Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Durant Post Office and Mural
Isidore Toberoff’s mural, Erosion, Reclamation and Conservation of the Soil, was completed in 1942 (Mississippi Department of Archives and History/Historic Resources Inventory database). The oil-on-canvas work was completed under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts (NewDealArtRegistry.org). Toberoff… Read More ›
Preservation Events for the week of Feb. 17th, 2013
Two preservation related events are coming up this next week: If you are going to be New Orleans adjacent this Monday Feb. 18, the Louisiana Landmark Society is hosting a panel discussion entitled “Fight Blight”. While this discussion is taking… Read More ›
Friday Fun: Concrete Block Bingo Sheet
The attached sheet is page 415 from Nelson Burbank and Herbert Pfister’s 1968 House Construction Details. When I came across this page I wondered to myself if any of these decorative patterns or blocks had ever actually been used. Almost… Read More ›
Help Save the Durant Depot
Today’s guest post is by Sharron Cauthen, Chair of the Durant Historic Preservation Commission in Holmes County. Durant Historic Preservation Commission and City of Durant Work To Preserve Durant Depot (Illinois Central RR) This year the Durant Historic Preservation Commission is… Read More ›
Tornado Damage in Hattiesburg
We’ve seen a few pictures of damaged historic buildings in Hattiesburg, and today we’ve got a broader view of the damage, which takes a relatively straight line from I-59 northeast along Hardy Street, clips the corner of USM, and heads… Read More ›
Behind the scenes at Rosedale, Windsor, and Walthall
On this hump day, a short post to point you to some interesting behind-the-scenes pictures from historic preservation projects going on around the state. If you’re on Facebook, you may want to connect with the MDAH Technical Services page, which… Read More ›
Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Monroe County Chancery Building
Monroe County’s Chancery Building, built 1885-87 as a post office and federal building (Mississippi Department of Archives & History/Historic Resources Inventory database), did not make it to the 101 Places in Mississippi to See Before you Die list. It was… Read More ›
Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Leland Post Office Mural
The Leland Post Office mural, “Ginnin’ Cotton” by Stuart Purser, is oil on canvas, mounted on paperboard, and was completed 1940 (Smithsonian American Art Museum). Purser’s design was the winning submission for Mississippi in the 48-state mural competition. Purser was… Read More ›
MissPres Word of the Week: Window
In January 2012 Malvaney ask us in the post entitled “When You Absolutely Positively Have to Know What’s a Volute?” to share our favorite definition of a volute. In that spirit I’ll ask y’all to share a definition of the word… Read More ›
Preservation in Mississippi 