Historiat: Tapestries of Americana
I was recently walking the streets in a part of D.C. when a mural on the side of a building caught my attention. In addition to being a history nerd, I am a fan of the more traditionally “nerdy” things like science fiction. This particular mural I passed featured a certain helmet wearing bounty hunter with his little green sidekick zooming through space on to their next adventure.
I stood looking for a few minutes, caught up in the talent and skill the artist had put on display with what appeared to be simple spray cans.
As I walked away, I was taken back to age 10 or so. Our little town had a Mainstreet, and not much else, where at one end, the local doctor’s office stood. The hometown construction and building supply company had commissioned a mural to be painted on the side of doctor’s building to memorialize our sleepy little town.
The painting commemorated its surroundings with our long-gone train depot, an old truck, townsfolk, and a dozing man, barefooted and fitted in a straw hat next to a dog sprawled out on the grass. Old time southern living, down to the last drop.
My part in this was as a passerby. The painter yelled down from the scaffolding and asked if I could toss up a small can of paint. I did, which he miraculously caught, and after a few minutes’ conversation on what he was doing and why, I went on my way. I hurried home to tell my grandparents how I had “helped paint the mural.”
Thinking over the space traveling duo, I wondered over murals in general. Since childhood, I’ve seen them all over the country, in inner cities and on the outskirts of towns. These amazing and varying displays of art, akin to medieval tapestries, showcase various bits of Americana across the nation. They represent cultures, individuals, accomplishments, and celebrations, capturing in faded paint the essence of the community.
I hope the tradition lives forever. This practice of local history visually represents an area, prompting questions from young and old, visitors and locals, art enthusiasts and simple admirers.
As I wrote this, I found an article from 2019 saying they commissioned my hometown’s mural be “touched up.” That makes me happy, to know that little piece of history will live on.
To the artists who make the scenes come alive, thank you for sharing your work. To those who commission the pieces, thank you for doing so. To all the admirers, thank you for keeping your local history alive. And to the artist who painted my sleepy little town: thank you for allowing me to be a part of the process.
