Galveston: A City on Stilts [Minkštas viršelis]

GALVESTON a A collection of photographs with detailed captions was published nationwide Monday a amazingly sharp images of the engineering feats and innovation involved in Galvestonas recovery after a hurricane.

The faces and images cast an eerie message of hope, traveling forward in time, from 1900 to 2008.

aI hope that readers, especially now after Ike, take away inspiration to rebuild, a said Jodi Wright-Gidley, director of the Galveston County Historical Museum. Wright-Gidley co-authored the book, aGalveston: A City on Stilts, a with Jennifer Marines, assistant director and curator.

aThey can say, aWow, if those people in 1900 could come through that devastation, we can too, aa Wright-Gidley added. aItas amazing what they accomplished with their technology in 1900.a

Marines agreed.

aI just hope people learn about a period in Galveston history we often forget about, a she said. aPeople remember the storm, but they donat realize how much work it was to put the island back together.a

Many of the photographs reveal rare scenes of the reconstruction of Galveston. They were taken by Zeva B. Edworthy, a commercial photographer who worked in Galveston from 1904-1910.

Edworthy wanted to document the rebuilding of Galveston, the construction of its gigantic seawall, and the process of raising the level of 500 city blocks, when houses were perched on stilts. He took hundreds of pictures, carefully placing them in an album.

Then Edworthy moved on to other work, eventually settling in WestVirginia as a director of religious education. The photographs from Galveston were locked away in a closet for years, and then passed along to Edworthyas daughter, Judith, who set them aside.

aThen, in 2005, I opened the album again, and my husband and I spent hours studying the fascinating pictures, a Judith Edworthy Wray wrote in the bookas preface. The family realized the value of such a collection, and donated the 340 pictures to the Galveston County Historical Museum.

aThus, my fatheras photographs, depicting rare scenes of Galvestonas resurrection after the 1900 disaster, finally have returned, a Wray wrote.

Museum staff selected 75 photographs, enlarged them and put together an exhibit in 2006 called aA City on Stilts: Galveston, 1902-1912.a The exhibit was the most popular ever at the museum.

aEveryone kept saying this would make a great book, a Wright-Gidley said. Then Arcadia Publishing, which specializes in regional history books, contacted the museum, asking for suggestions for a book topic. The book project began.

Wright-Gidley and Marines culled the 340 photographs down to 200, eliminating duplicates of scenes. They then set to work researching the stories behind each picture.

aI had a lot of fun driving around town, looking for the location of a picture, a Marines said. aWe would try to figure out what was going on in a picture.a

The women researched the machinery in the photographs, the people, the amusement park structures and other buildings. They used Internet archives of The Daily News, Rosenberg Library archives and museum archives.

aWe wanted to say more than the picture, a Wright-Gidley said. aWe wanted totell a story through the picture.a

The women became history detectives as they researched captions, often surprised by what research revealed.

aI was really impressed by seeing how fast Galveston recovered from the 1900 Storm, a Wright-Gidley said. aI did research on the tourist attractions, and even after the storm, people were saying, aLetas get ready for the summer, a rebuilding bath houses, bringing in carnival rides.a

Seven months ago, the book was completed and sent to Arcadia Publishing. Then, more than a month ago, Hurricane Ike swept through the island. Museum staff became disaster relief workers, handing out flood buckets, distributing instructional fliers, helping clean out houses.

While floodwaters damaged the basement of the museum, the exhibits, including the Edworthy photo collection, escaped harm. Electric panels, air-conditioning units and the air-conditioner duct system will have to be replaced before the museum can be reopened.

The book was released in bookstores Monday, with all publisher profits donated to the Galveston Historical Foundation. aTheyare selling them like hotcakes, a Wright-Gidley said. The first run from Arcadia sold out, and a second run is being printed.

Publicity materials from Arcadia included a brief interview with the authors. aWe hope readers will appreciate the strong human spirit that was required of the Galvestonians in 1900, a the women stated in the press release.

aAfter surviving the worst natural disaster in U.S. history, they chose to say and rebuild their city with great ingenuity.a

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At a glance

a[ The authors will participate in book signings from 7 p.m. to 9p.m. Friday at the Bishopas Palace in Galveston; from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Borders Book Store, 3025 Kirby Drive in Houston; from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 9 at Barnes and Noble, 11200 Broadway St. in Pearland; from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 15 at Books-A-Million, 1201 Main St. in Houston; and at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at Borders Book Store in the Bay area. They will also be signing books in the retail center area on The Strand and 23rd Street during Dickens on The Strand, Dec. 6-7.

a[ Copies will be personalized and signed by the authors when purchased online at www.galvestonhistory.org. The cost is $26.99 plus shipping and handling. All proceeds benefit the Galveston Historical Foundation. For more information, call (409) 765-7834.

a[ National booksellers Borders, Waldenbooks and Books-A-Million have pledged to contribute a portion of the bookas proceeds to the Galveston Historical Foundation.