Artist: Edmond James Fitzgerald
Date: 1941
Museum: Smithsonian's National Postal Museum (Washington, United States)
Technique: Mural
The Post Office in Preston, Idaho features a mural depicting one of the worst massacres of American Indian people in American history, the Bear River Massacre of 1863. Titled The Battle of Bear River, the mural was painted in 1941 by watercolor artist Edmond J. Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, one of seven children, was born in Seattle in 1912 and attended the California School of Fine Arts where he studied with Lee Randolph. He was heavily influenced by artist Eustace Zeigler, and the two had neighboring studios in Seattle. Fitzgerald also spent time painting in Alaska and on the Oregon coast. In 1940, he married one of his art students, Mary Louise Streets. A ceramic artist herself, she helped Fitzgerald with his mural projects. In addition to this mural in Preston, Fitzgerald also painted the murals in Ontario, Oregon and Colville, Washington. He appears to have been determined to include Indian people in his depictions of history in the Pacific Northwest, as all 3 of his murals feature American Indians. Fitzgerald served for 26 years in the Naval Reserves, and commanded a landing craft during World War II. His teaching assignments included the Newark Academy of Art, Parson
Artist |
|
|---|---|
Download |
