Review by Choice Review
The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) is a project of the Great Depression whose value in recording the US's architectural past has strengthened its survival into the 21st century. In this timely work, the New Mexico Architectural Foundation and others who prepared this book produced a historical and informative review of HABS activities in New Mexico. Continuing the HABS conviction that preserving buildings on paper was worthwhile, the compilers crafted a book that would serve as "the starting point for a more profound understanding of New Mexico's legacy of historic architecture and a renewed effort to preserve what remains." This well-organized book has succeeded. Chapters are subdivided into four sections, the two most valuable being background HABS history and New Mexico building types. Key architects are discussed along with some of the techniques, such as photogrammetric recording, that they used. Unfortunately, by part 4, the impact of the book dwindles; the last two chapters are mere lists and belong in the appendixes with other similar lists. The black-and-white illustrations are largely reproduced HABS drawings. Not a "how-to" book like the hands-on Recording Historic Structures, ed. by John A. Burns et al. (1989), but the only one on HABS in print. Notes, appendixes, glossary, no index. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. L. B. Sickels-Taves Eastern Michigan University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
