Historic Texas Book of Days is an undated journal of watercolors, a sampling of flora and fauna, art and architecture, cuisine and recipes, traditions large and small.
- Architectural styles show the evolution from simple log cabins and dog-trot plantation homes, to Greek Revival stagecoach inns, and on to elaborate Victorian buildings found in Houston in the 1880s. All structures mentioned in the book are extant.
- For mothers and daughters, quilts were both creative and practical, and their motifs often reflected the world around them (Log Cabin, Lone Star, Courthouse Steps), or the perhaps the world they left behind (North Carolina Lily, Ohio Star, Fan, Nosegay). With the arrival of the first norther, all quilts in the house were certain to be put to good use.
- Pecans, wildflowers, sugar cane, cotton, magnolias - the list of flora is impressive. Yet fauna cannot be forgotten: cattle of course, both range and dairy, and horses too, for ranch work and travel by stagecoach.
- Traditions varied according to the seasons: summertime brought basket picnics and ice cream socials; harvesting, then Thanksgiving, and Christmas occurred in the latter half of the year. Basic values such as hard work and hospitality were ever-present, and motherly advice (Patience Industry Economy Prudence Ingenuity, Encouraged.), well, there was no escaping that, then as now!
Life in Texas during the 19th and early 20th centuries followed the rhythm of the seasons, and excerpts from a garden calendar, published in Burke's Texas Almanac and Immigrant's Handbook for 1879, appear at the beginning of each month. Advice on what to plant and when to harvest, with a few recipes using garden-fresh produce sprinkled in, is as relevant now as it was in 1879.
In researching these themes, Bruce and Hénaff started with accounts of daily life in early Texas, and continued on to the present, through oral history interviews of older Texans and how they lived in the first half of the 20th century.
Historic Texas Book of Days provides insight and inspiration to those living in Texas in the 21st century, while serving as a gardening and planting journal, event planner, calendar, cookbook and birthday book. Delicate watercolor illustrations are present on every page, giving it an elegant look. An ideal gift to give or receive.
ANN BRUCE HÉNAFF is a graphic designer and illustrator, working primarily in book and magazine publishing; her artist's books and collages have been featured in galleries across the country and abroad. YVONNE BRUCE, a retired librarian, provided invaluable assistance with Texana resources, conducted oral history interviews, and provided unpublished material from family archives. |
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