Paul Lyon's Alamo (3 Viewers)

[Paul J. Lyon]

Examples of the current idea of the Alamo west wall, all of which place the buildings in the Eastman drawing further to the south, and away from the tree-- away from the Maverick corner.

George Nelson's version, placing the Maverick house and tree in the proper location (1861), and no tree midway down the west wall.

This looks like a picture by Jake Ivey: the Eastman houses are midway along the west wall.

Mark Lemon emerging from his model. He puts the Eastman houses along the west wall midway, as clearly seen here. Tree problem? No trees at all.

Watch what happens in the Nelson paintings in order to explain the large tree behind the peaked houses; here, you see a sapling in 1836.

Presto! A large tree now grows behind the Eastman houses in 1842-- but is gone by the 1850-60s, as in the first painting.

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

Here's something I just discovered. I think that the little house in the photograph is one of the ones in the drawing. These would be the only pictures of the upper end of the west wall, the drawing from 1848-49 and the photograph as in the descriptive materials.

I am now pretty sure about the tree, and think that it is indeed the large pecan, the only tree near or in the Alamo at the time of the battle, standing just outside the walls near the northwest corner. This places the "peaked roof" house nearer the corner than it is depicted in most of the current paintings, models, and public image of the Alamo.

[sp. jacal, not jacale]


The photgraph has these annotations in the digital library:

Title Jacal beside stone ruins, San Antonio
Description Photograph shows retouched copy print of view of jacal beside ruins, possibly a wall at one of the missions. Jerky drying on line on right.
Date-Original 1870 - 1879?
Subject Jacals - San Antonio (Tex.); Mexican Americans
Location San Antonio, Tex.
Lender Thomas W. Cutrer.
Type Image
Format tiff
Digital Identifier CD # 995 ; 081-0514.tif.
Identifier 081-0514
Rights http://lib.utsa.edu/planning-a-visit/ph ... ompliance/

....

The Maverick house in the 1850s. That's the tree: you can see the same shapes in it in all three pictures here. The viewpoint in this picture is actually outside the red line near the upper left corner, looking up at the Alamo north wall.

I have rechecked the location of the Maverick house, and see that I have made a mistake. The view in the bottom picture is to the southwest-- in other words, not only does it seem to show the same tree with the same shapes (the only big tree like this near the Alamo at the time of the battle), it shows it from the same angle, and the viewer is not, as I wrote, "looking up at the Alamo north wall."

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

One more thing, and then I'll stop.

The three pictures here (I now believe) show the NW corner of the Alamo. The viewer is inside the fort, looking NW at three different angles. The tree is in the right position, according to the oldest surveyor plats and the known location of the Maverick house in that corner. George Nelson puts the pecan tree in this position, based on the bottom photo, as well.

The house on the right in the bottom photo, set perpendicular to the Maverick house, represents the approximate location of the north wall and the cannon ramp. If you follow the plane of its face to the right off the picture, you would come to the damaged north wall "breach." This means that the arches to the right of the house in the Eastman drawing are part of the corner of the fort, rather than, as assumed by many, an extension of the west wall and the arcade of another house.

This is significant only insofar as you have an interest in this level of detail, I realize. But we might as well get it right. Most of the histories and illustrations now show the peak-roofed house not in the corner, but halfway down the west wall to the south.

My model is not accurate in every detail, of course, but it turns out my hunch on this one was right.

 

[Scott]

Paul I'm enjoying this. I am currently reading Exodus from The Alamo and seeing the story from a different angle. The Alamo is still a good story.

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

Scott, your stuff is hilarious. I love the Austen vignettes.

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

Scene just inside the main gate on the south end of the fort. There is a small barricade to cover the gate with two small cannons.

Lancers move in on defenders attempting to get to church by following the ditchwork outside the south wall; gate and lunette is to the left, lunette ditch in foreground; church palisade in background to the right.

Defenders caught outside the south wall by lancers. It's a Beyer horse with a CST lancer attacking Conte and King & Country defenders.

In the plaza, Mexican soldiers move toward the chapel; dried Alamo canal or acequia to the left, running parallel to west wall.

Defending the main gate, south wall, New Orleans Greys.

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

Column of 300 Mexican infantry assault the east wall; defender firing off the roof of the granary.

The Alamo at dawn.

Firing into the west wall.

The venerable old Alamo under fire.

 

[marco55]

This has to be one of the most in depth dioramas ever created.This is a stunning project.
Mark

 

[wds0855]

Wow, those are some really great scenes!

Walt

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

middle of the west wall

northwest corner

inside west wall

south wall

south wall

north end of west wall

old kitchen

 

[Mitch]

Paul..

Superb pictures and that dio looks incredible
Mitch

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

Southwest corner, the Charli house and 18-pounder from the U.S. Navy

Assault on the north wall

north wall

patio of the Charli house

 

[marco55]

Excellent.What passion you have for this battle.
Mark

 

[Ragnar]

Very artistic photography realy well done!

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

 

[marco55]

Great as usual.Is there any way you could do a panoramic photo showing the whole layout?
Mark

 

[Paul J. Lyon]

Broad shots are hard, I need to get suspended over the room.

 

[marco55]

I guess you would have to go up in a balloon.^&grinThanks for trying.
Mark