[1] Among his most notable works were the mural decoration of the World War II Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial battle monument in Draguignan, France;[2] bas reliefs for the SS America, the SS United States, and Grace Line ships Santa Rosa and Santa Paula; mosaic work located in the East Apse of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

;[1] the decorative map in the Boston Federal Reserve Bank;[3] and the spandrel sculpture on the barracks at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.

[1] Returning to the United States after his studies, he married and lived in New York, where he had a studio on the Lower East Side.

[6] The 1934 Jubilee Issue of the Cooper Union Yearbook held this dedication: "To Austin Purves Jr., Art Director of The Cooper Union, this Jubilee Issue of The Cable is respectfully dedicated as an appreciation of his distinguished service to the Institution, and with gratitude for his kindly helpfulness in the preparation of this volume.

[1] From 1931 to 1932, he was one of thirteen American artists invited to contribute a mural painting to hang in the Capitol at the Smithsonian Museum[8] for George Washington’s bicentennial celebration.

[10] Other work for this ship included a large aluminum eagle insignia for the first class grand staircase and an etched glass backdrop in the bar.

[11] In later years, he did aluminum bas-reliefs as well as mosaic panels adorned with ancient South American motifs for the Santa Rosa of Grace Lines.

He made a mosaic column for Colgate University[1] and designed a granite bas relief for a Boston bank (1950–1953).

In the early 1960s, he created a large mosaic work located in the East Apse of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.[1] His last commission (1959–1961) was for West Point Academy, where he designed granite spandrels for three buildings and stone sculptures for three additional buildings.

[14] He took great interest and pride in the East Litchfield Volunteer Fire Department, which he helped found and build.

He was in fact a well-rounded gentleman, versed in all branches and periods of painting, an eclectic and retentive reader, and had he not been a painter might well have become a musician.