Giant Spool Takes Mural to New Home: Westward Trails Mural from Mercantile Bank, 1995
Entry/Object ID
L9999.999.3689
Description
Giant Spool Takes Mural to New Home: Westward Trails Mural from Mercantile Bank, January 29, 1995. St. Joseph News-Press article about the donation and removal of a 57-year old mural of western trails created by artist George Gray. The 27 ft x 7 ft mural was created in 1938 by a traveling painter who made four large paintings for the Hotel Robidoux, two of which ended up in the bank building that replaced the hotel at Fifth & Francis Streets. This mural originally hung behind the hotel bar.
In 1992 the bank donated to the Pony Express Museum this mural that traces the mail and migration routes to the West. It took two years for the museum and its consultant, Tom Duggins of the Frame Station, to come up with a method to remove it safely from its frame, roll it up and remove it to the museum where it will be cleaned and re-hung.
The article describes the restoration efforts and techniques used.
Besides the map mural Gray's paintings and their locations in 1995 are
"Signing of the Platte Purchase", hanging at the Mercantile Bank (In 2013 this mural is at the Pony Express Museum)
"Attack by Gen. M. Jeff Thompson, CSA", hanging at the Holiday Inn
"War War I Hero, Clay MacDonald, hanging at Donnell Court, 507 Francis
1/News Clipping/Photograph
Lexicon
LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Pony express, Art, Banks
Search Terms
George Gray Murals in St. Joseph, Hotel Robidoux, Gray, George, Gray Murals, Platte Purchase, Thompson, M. Jeff, MacDonald, Clay, Mercantile Bank, Holiday Inn, Donnell Court, Pony Express Museum