El Paso Architecture.

El Paso, Texas: El Paso Chamber of Commerce, Women's Department, [ca. 1940]. Oblong 4to (7.5” x 10.5”), pictorial wrappers. [88] pp., numerous illus, numerous advertisements.

A scarce, extensively illustrated catalogue of El Paso homes, documenting the work of the city’s first professional woman architect, and others.

Inspired by the vision of Mabel C. Welch (and apparently written by her as well), this catalogue was produced by the Women's Dept. of El Paso’s Chamber of Commerce and showcases Welch’s work as well as that of other El Paso architects. Dozens of El Paso residences are featured here, accompanied by illustrations, descriptions, sketches, floor plans, and quotes about architecture (e.g., “Architecture is an art for all men to learn, because all men are concerned with it”—Ruskin). While it is noted that El Paso has yet to adopt a distinctive architectural style, this work was expressly published “with this thought in mind…From this limited idea is expected a growth of architecture so beautiful in color and line that it will mark El Paso as a city of outstanding beauty.”

Born in Mississippi, Mabel Clair Vanderburg Welch (1890–1981) accompanied her husband Malcolm H. Welch (1887–1927) to El Paso, Texas in 1916 in pursuit of a cure for his tuberculosis. From early on, Welch was active in her husband’s construction company, Welch Construction Co.: she made all the drawings for the houses her husband’s company built and oversaw interior decoration. The company built numerous homes in Central El Paso and in the Lower Valley. After the death of her husband in 1927, she became the sole proprietor of the business at the age of thirty-five, running it with considerable success. In her forties, she attended university and became a registered architect. Welch was the first female architect in the city, and only the second registered female architect in Texas.

OCLC records just three copies, at University of New Mexico, the University of Texas El Paso, and the El Paso Public Library.

REFERENCES: Elizabeth Torres, Javier Medina and Ruth Vise. Mabel Welch: El Paso’s First Female Architect at epcc.libguides.com

CONDITION: Good, a few tiny stains to front-wrapper, a few minor losses to the corners of back-cover, 1.5” damp-stain to upper right corner throughout.