… The buildings, small as many of them are, display an infinite architectural variety, even more than I first realized. I began my research thinking solely in terms of service buildings–those oriented to a front house and those whose inhabitants began their day by stepping into a yard. However, in Galveston, there is a second type of back building–the alley house–that was usuallly built for rental purposes and whose inhabitants began their day by stepping into an alley.”

…”Over the years of living “on the alley” in Galveston has meant many things to many people, and what it meant has had a lot to do with choice–whether you were living “on the alley” because you wanted to or because you had to. In Galveston’s rich and dramatic history, alley dwellers, like alley buildings, have been treated only margianally, if at all, but both people and the buildings on the alleys have been an integral and vital part of the city since its very beginning. The city’s history–and preservation–are incomplete without them.”

Beasley’s book is available for sale online and at several places in Galveston. Artist Renee Wiley also has several alley paintings on display in her gallery.