Description
“There was nothing else for me to do but hold the fort. So I did.”
—Adina De Zavala
This oversized postcard is a reproduction (offset printed, NOT letterpress) of our On a Mission broadside, created in response to SB 1070, Arizona’s contentious new immigration reform bill, which was signed into law in 2010. The large letterpress poster is now sold out, but this postcard faithfully reproduces the hand-lettered typography and hand-drawn illustrations of the original.
As residents of the West, we’re grateful for the cultural riches contributed by both native and immigrant peoples—and we recognize that our culture is as indivisible as it is multicultural. Yet at every turn, controversy pricks underfoot and looms overhead—with no easy, clear-cut answers in sight. On a Mission challenges the controversy face-to-face-to-hand-to-heart with Adina De Zavala’s words.
The illustration teems with icons of both the American Southwest and Mexican folk culture. A desert landscape—framed with metallic scrollwork and Crazy Lace agate cabochons—stretches to the horizon, while saguaro sentinels tower over a tangled mess of prickly pears and barrel cacti. The ghostly form of the Alamo (a controversial symbol in its own right) rises through the thorns, and a collection of milagros—literally “miracles,” the traditional religious folk art of metal votives—adorn the lower half of the illustration like pinned hopes.
You can find all available postcard designs in the postcards section of the shop.
Postcard size: 5 x 8 inches
PLEASE NOTE: these oversized postcards require extra postage for mailing.
PAPER FINISH: this postcard is made from paper with a smooth, eggshell finish. If you write on it, we recommend using either a ballpoint pen or some form of permanent, smear-proof ink.
Colophon reads:
As a young Tejana teacher, Adina Emilia De Zavala (1861 – 1955) shared her love of Texas history and legends in her classroom, and spent time outside of school soliciting building supplies to repair San Antonio’s missions. In honor of her Mexican grandfather, the Republic’s first Vice President, she founded the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) in order to preserve the Mission San Antonio de Valero. The compound was built in 1718 by the Spanish to evangelize local Native Americans, then later—as the Alamo—housed the Mexican Army. De Zavala was especially focused on restoring the long barracks, which she believed was the site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. In 1905, days before the Alamo lease would expire and rumors spread of imminent conversion to a hotel, De Zavala locked herself in the rat-infested structure without food, demanding that the entire compound be preserved. “If people—especially children—can actually see the door through which some noble man or woman passed,” she said, “they’ll be impressed; they’ll remember.” After three days, De Zavala was released as the Governor took possession, then returned control to the DRT. Thanks to De Zavala’s persistence and the DRT’s ongoing stewardship, the legendary Alamo is preserved as a museum and National Historic Landmark, open to all people.
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This original artwork is copyright Chandler O’Leary and Jessica Spring 2010. Copyright is not transferable with the sale of this postcard. The buyer is not entitled to reproduction rights.
WA state residents are subject to sales tax.
This card will ship flat in a protective mailer, via the United States Postal Service.
