'Endangered Species of Austin' unveiled

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The bright blue lettering of the old Avenue Cafe sign popped in the frame photo hanging on the gallery at Fastframe in north Austin. Behind the sign, which once pointed the way to a longtime favorite Mexican food joint – Las Manitas – stood Austin's then tallest building, Frost Tower.

"That was a really fun juxtaposition," Jann Alexander giggled, staring at the photo.

Not long after moving to Austin five years ago, Alexander snapped that shot, not knowing Las Manitas would be gone soon to make way for a planned Marriott Hotel.

"It actually ended up getting bulldozed,” she said. “Then I realized that was my poster child, in a way, for the whole series."

The series, “ Vanishing Austin,” appeared in the years to follow – a way for Alexander to capture the city's essence before it was too late.

“You know,” she continued, “I just sort of hate to think that they're gone or they had to give up."

So far, there are more than 60 in the series from the Frisco Nighthawk to Joseph's Mens Store – places fans of her photos love to re-live.

"It feels good,” said Kay Lambert, taking in the display. “It makes you smile. It makes you miss them."

"Mostly, there are people who just want to sink into their old Austin memories and tell me every teeny, tiny, little detail about some business that was gone or some placed they loved that was gone,” Alexander giggled.

“A lot of these places are places we used to call home, places we used to visit,” said Karl Kabler, glancing at one wall.

As Alexander unveiled the latest round, “ Endangered Species of Austin,” she said she sees her work as a warning. Most of these 16 in the set are still around but, in her opinion, at risk.

"I worry a little bit that we're going to get so out of scale with high rises over-towering and overpowering,” she said.

As Austin continues to develop, Alexander hopes to capture what she can't save and learn how to co-exist with what she can't stop.

"I used to think Frost Tower was kind of the interesting juxtaposition, but now I'm kind of thinking of the Frost Tower as part of the endangered species of Austin.”