Early Utica Preserved in Oil |
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Menu About the Author Utica's Mother Lavendar Classical Music in Utica John F. Hughes School; The Early Years Utica Portrait Artist Leon Cardarelli The King Who Cancelled Christmas Early Utica Preserved in Oil and Water For The Common Good McConnell Field Via East Utica Cornerstone of Pride; History of Utica Free Academy Contact Me maliocard@juno.com |
During the 1930s, Illustrator Ebert Norman Clark created a group of paintings and murals depicting the early history of Utica, New York and the Mohawk Valley. His murals, of which there are several, might be the best visual record of the earliest beginnings of the city. Fortunately, save for one lost in a flood, they still exist today. "Early Utica Preserved in Oil and Water" details the origin of the murals that were created in three separate groups--The Hotel Utica murals, the WPA murals for Thomas R. Proctor High School, and the murals for the Utica Mutual Insurance Company. Additionally, Clark painted cover illustrations for "The Way to Wealth", a 1930s era, quarterly publication of the Savings Bank of Utica. Both the murals and the cover illustrations are extensively discussed in Cardarelli’s history. And finally, Utica’s Children Museum is the home of eight Clark-Supervised, WPA-funded dioramas, again recreating the early Mohawk Valley. The artist’s wife, Lucy Dunn Clark, also plays a significant role in the history because it was she who accomplished the research for the paintings and who, in many cases, wrote descriptive and interesting-to-read accounts of the events illustrated by her husband. "Early Utica Preserved in Oil and Water" is replete with photos of many of the Clark murals and paintings as well as photos of both the Bert and Lucy,and some of the people associated with them. Complete with an "Index of Selected Names," The book sells for $15.00 and for a limited time, postage will be waived for mainland USA destinations for order made via this web site. |