© 2018 Atkinson & Wood All rights reserved.
Lives of Texas Brick digital edition ready! Available for purchase only from Ruff Brick Road. Own a searchable copy — buy it here.
For Your Household: $54.95 USD
For Your Workplace: $89.95 USD
Please note, you will not be able to print the digital copy in any form.
All content copyright 2018 by Judy Wood and Jim Atkinson.
Not for redistribution or resale.
- 915 pages
- 588 color photos
- cross-referenced
- indexed
- searchable
Atkinson-Wood’s highly documented reference work focuses on events that created or ended Texas brickmaking endeavors ranging from single-kiln operators through multi-state brickmaking empires. The centerpiece of book is arranged by counties, presenting evidence of brickmaking history in 154 of the 254 Texas counties. It dates back to kilns operated by the Spanish missions, on through the plantations, and the 1890s transitions from handmade to mechanical processes of the modern day.
Text and photos identify abandoned kiln and pit sites, as well as ongoing enterprises. In addition, the narrative explores causes of failure in relation to market and economic conditions. It touches upon lives of more than 1,000 Texas brickmakers, bringing forth panoramas of tribulations, success and tragedy. Brickmaking family dynasties illustrate networks of connections within the trade in Texas and beyond.
Brick can identify the era from which it came. In addition, it is the most enduring manmade material that built the structures that created communities and gave them character. Above all, brick is evidence of the past and evokes an aura much like a family homestead.
Many thanks to Acme Brick Company for shining a spotlight on Lives of Texas Brick—and Their Makers during the International Brick Collectors Association 2024 Swap Meet. In 2020 Acme facilitated digital production of the book, staying true to the format and every detail of the Atkinson-Wood manuscript. Acme’s graphic designer Angela Skees used the authors’ original uncompressed photos for high resolution and drew from them to create the book’s cover.
