2026 Forty Years in El Paso: Tom Lea's Collection Exhibition at The Plaza

🎉 The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park is pleased to unveil Tom Lea’s WW Mills: 40 Years in El Paso illustrations during three seperate receptions this year ( JAN 29, FEB 26, and MAR 26). Originally opened as the Plaza Hotel by Conrad Hilton on November 30, 1930, the property was reopened to the public by Paul Foster in June of 2020. The original Plaza would be celebrating its 95th anniversary this coming weekend. Now, and in partnership with the Tom Lea Institute, the hotel will host an exhibit featuring 22 illustrations by Tom Lea, along with a display of the original book.

🎨Published by Carl Hertzog in 1962, Forty Years at El Paso, 1858–1898 recounts W.W. Mills’ experience in the then small adobe settlement of El Paso. Arriving in 1858, Mills describes what everyday life was like, the people he met, and the major events that shaped the area. His memories give us a close-up view of what it was like to live on the frontier during the days of early El Paso. The illustrations created by Tom Lea for the book bring Mills’s experiences to life and show what El Paso looked and felt like during its early years.

🍷🥗The opening reception, honoring the Plaza Hotel’s 95th anniversary, will feature wine and light bites. 22 illustrations will be on exhibit on the 2nd floor of the Plaza Hotel. Join us for an amazing artistic reception like no other in El Paso! *Remarks will be made at 5:30 pm.

🖼️This collection is available for sale. For more information, contact The Tom Lea Institute at [email protected].

🖼️The illustrations are scheduled to be on view through March 2026. Additional receptions will be held monthly through March, on the last Thursday of each month.

🆓 Free Admission. Register Today!

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Host or Publisher Tom Lea Institute