"Downtown Birmingham, Alabama in 1960" by Miriam McClung. Ink on paper. 8" x 10".
"Downtown Birmingham, Alabama in 1960" by Miriam McClung. Ink on paper. 8" x 10".

Part 8: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Architecture

When you think of American cities with great downtown architecture, Birmingham, Alabama probably doesn’t come to mind. What might surprise you is that there are over 45 different house styles in Birmingham and one of the best selections of industrial age turn of the 20th-century architecture.

Miriam drew and painted frequently the architecture of the homes, churches and commercial buildings in downtown Birmingham. Here are a few of these sketches that remain:

"Building Rooftop in Birmingham, Alabama" by Miriam McClung. Ink on paper. 13" x 11".
“Building Rooftop in Birmingham, Alabama” by Miriam McClung. Ink on paper. 13″ x 11″.
"Dogwood Trees Blooming in Downtown Birmingham" by Miriam McClung, 1999. Pastel on paper. 19" x 25".
“Dogwood Trees Blooming in Downtown Birmingham” by Miriam McClung, 1999. Pastel on paper. 19″ x 25″.
"Early Morning on Highland Ave" by Miriam McClung, 1999. Oil on linen. Private collector.
“Early Morning on Highland Ave” by Miriam McClung, 1999. Oil on linen. Private collector.