Title supplied by cataloger.; Commercial photography by Floyd Faxon.; Original photograph has Dean Cornwell signature on lower right corner, and the year "1932." For over three decades, Dean Cornwell (1892-1960) was recognized as the "Dean of Illustrators", a nickname given to him by his peers. Celebrated and well known during his lifetime, Cornwell began his career as an illustrator in 1914. Between 1920 through the mid-1950s his art appeared regularly in magazines, illustrated books, and posters advertising hundreds of products. Cornwell was awarded the contract for the Los Angeles Public Library murals in 1927 and spent the next five years researching and painting the final canvases; he completed the murals in 1932. In addition to the Library's large murals, he painted over twenty historic murals in public buildings across the U.S. In 1959 he was inducted into the society of Illustrator's Hall of Fame. In the winter of 1960, Cornwell suffered severe abdominal pains resulting from a ruptured main artery and died - he was 68 years old. Central Library rotunda view, facing the west wall. It shows workmen standing on different levels of a scaffold as they work on one of Dean Cornwell's murals; Dean Cornwell can be seen wearing a dark suit and standing on the left (bottom) of the ladder. The mural is one of 12 panels depicting four great eras of California history. These are: "Discovery" (north wall); "Mission building" (east wall); "Americanization" (south wall), and "The Founding of Los Angeles" (west wall). The pictured mural portrays the reading of the proclamation by Governor Felipe de Neve, dedicating the city to Spain in 1781. Distinguished muralist and illustrator, Dean Cornwell was awarded the contract for the Los Angeles Public Library murals in 1927, and spent the next five years researching and painting the final canvases, which he completed in 1932. This entire area sustained some smoke damage during the fire that ravaged the upper levels of Central Library, April 29, 1986.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;14 x 11 cm. on sheet 21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Central Library (Los Angeles, Calif.) Los Angeles Public Library Decoration and ornament, Architectural--California--Los Angeles Murals--California--Los Angeles Rotundas--California--Los Angeles Libraries--California--Los Angeles Interiors--California--Los Angeles Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor,1869-1924 Cornwell, Dean,1892-1960 Winslow, Carlton M Downtown Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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