Journey through the History of Houston

Dec. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- New from Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Building Modern Houston by local author Anna Mod. This pictorial history boasts more than 200 vintage images and provides readers with a unique opportunity to reconnect with the history that shaped their community.

Founded in 1836, Houston is now the country’s fourth-largest city. In the early 20th century, Houston’s economy shifted from agriculture to oil, fueling the city’s explosive growth in the following decades.

Houston grabbed the reins and saw a building boom in commercial, residential, and civic architecture that redefined the city and skyline. Modernism was a new and fresh architectural expression and the perfect complement to the city’s can-do entrepreneurial spirit.

The 1960s brought ground-breaking ceremonies for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) headquarters, while residents and tourists alike lined up to tour the revolutionary new Astrodome. Building Modern Houston tells the story of Houston’s architecture during its transformation from “Bayou City” to “Space City.”

Highlights of Building Modern Houston include:
•   The story of the Houston Astrodome.
•   Landmarks of Houston’s NASA history.
•   Architecture of private homes and post-war suburban expansion.
•   Houston's earliest modern-era skyscrapers that transformed the city's skyline
•   The surviving treasures of the Richmond Avenue corridor
•   Philip Johnson and his contemporaries in Houston

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com

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With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.