The latest book by Dr. Kenneth Hafertepe, chair and professor of museum studies at Baylor University, “The Material Culture of German Texans” (Texas A&M University Press, 2016), is garnering both state and national awards.
Hafertepe’s book, which packs 308 color and 68 black-and-white photos into its 416 pages, is considered to be the first comprehensive survey of the art and artifacts of German Texans.
“The German cultural impact on Texas was very large in the 19th century in terms of painting, literature, music and cultural things,” Hafertepe said in a Houston Chronicle interview.
According to Texas A&M University Press, “Hafertepe explores how their material culture was influenced by their European roots, how it was adapted to everyday life in Texas, and how it changed over time — at different rates in different communities. “The Material Culture of German Texans” is about the struggle to become American while maintaining a distinctive cultural identity drawn from German heritage.”
Since its publication, the book has received three awards. The Texas Institute of Letters named the book a finalist for the Ramirez Family Award for Most Significant Scholarly Book, while the Texas State Historical Association has given the book its 2016 Ron Tyler Award for Best Illustrated Book on Texas History and Culture. In addition, the Southeast Society of Architectural Historians has given “The Material Culture of German Texans” its 2016 Book Prize.
In a recent review, the Southwestern Historical Quarterly said, “Hafertepe’s book is a significant and far-reaching contribution to our knowledge of an immigrant group that has contributed much to Texas over the past century over the past century and a half…This is one of the most important, and one of the most beautiful, book published in Texas in the past decade.”
James W. Steely, a former Texas Historical Commission deputy state historic preservation officer, said, “The scope of study and quality of research are unique and both excellent. Ken’s image selections are high quality, and the coupling of example building exteriors with interior scenes is outstanding…It will be a joy to have this on my bookshelf and on my car seat as I travel Central Texas to visit and revisit these fine places, and marks of a fine people.”
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Austin American-Statesman review
Wonderful and highly relevant story.
People need to hear about this so they stop talking about how rapey Baylor is.