FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2007
CONTACT: Molly Dannenmaier
Director of Marketing and Public Relations,
409-765-7834

Architectural Historian Ellen Beasley To Speak at GHF Preservation Month Event on May 30.

Houston-based architectural historian Ellen Beasley will give a talk entitled “Speaking of Alleys and Back Buildings. . .” at an event sponsored by Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) in celebration of national historic preservation month. As a partner with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, GHF celebrates May, the month of national preservation awareness, by hosting the special event on May 30, 2007 in the Ashton Villa Ballroom at 5:30 p.m.

The presentation and book signing by architectural historian Ellen Beasley, formerly of Galveston, will mark the release of the new edition of her book The Alleys and Back Buildings of Galveston: An Architectural and Cultural History, 2007, Texas A&M Press. Copies of the book, along with Beasley’s other Galveston books The Galveston Architecture Guidebook, co-authored with Stephen Fox, and The Corner Store: an American Tradition, Galveston Style – will be available for sale and signing. The Alleys and Back Buildings of Galveston is full of extraordinary photographs and fascinating histories of the small, often overlooked buildings that make up the unique character of Galveston. As the title suggests, Beasley’s interest is as much in the social functioning and individual personal histories represented by the structures she describes, as in their distinctive architectural forms. The event is free and open to the public.

GHF will also announce the 2007 update of its Heritage at Risk List of endangered properties in Galveston at the May 30 event. The Heritage at Risk List is an annual compilation of Galveston’s threatened sites and properties--brought to the public’s attention to encourage their preservation. This list sets the foundation’s advocacy priorities for the next few years.