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Biography
Biography Mel Brown was born in San Antonio, Texas shortly after WW
II. He is a fifth generation Texan who graduated from the University
of Texas at Austin in 1969. Mel married Lorraine Lee of Houston in
1974, then settled in Austin where they have raised a son and two
daughters. Mel has been a professional fine artist since 1976 specializing
in Southwestern landscape and aviation subjects and is a member of
the United States Air Force Art Program. Now as a full-time writer,
CHINESE HEART of TEXAS; the San Antonio Community 1875-1975
is his third book dealing with San Antonio's rich and colorful history.
"I'm a general history buff concentrating mainly on San Antonio, WW
II and aviation subjects plus just about anything Texana." Mel's first
book was SAN ANTONIO In Vintage Postcards while the second
was Wings Over San Antonio, a photographic history of military
aviation there in over 200 images. Chinese Heart of Texas is
the first lengthy and detailed history of the Chinese in Texas to
be published anywhere. He is currently working on a follow up to it
titled TexAsian Infusion that will cover the significant Asian
immigration into San Antonio since 1975. This includes the Japanese,
Korean, Chinese, Thai/Cambodian, Filipino and Indian communities as
well. A second book also currently in progress is titled San Antonio;
Past, Present & Always which will be a look at that city's rich heritage
and present development as depicted in over 300 vintage postcards,
plus archival and modern images, most in color. Text will be largely
anecdotal based on Mel's memories of growing up in the historic Alamo
City and will also feature a price guide for the many postcards featured.
He also can be seen in the recent PBS/KLRN production titled "Wings
Over the Alamo" which is a history of aviation in San Antonio
that features a number of his aviation paintings and an interview. |
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