Thomas Jefferson High School Mural – Los Angeles CA

City:
Los Angeles, CA

Site Type:
Murals, Art Works

New Deal Agencies:
Federal Arts Project (FAP), Arts Programs

Completed:
1937

Artist:
Ross Dickinson

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Marked:
Unknown

Site Survival:
Unknown

Description

In 1937, Ross Dickinson painted “History of the Recorded Word” in the Thomas Jefferson High School library (Los Angeles, CA) with Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Arts Project funding.

The mural is comprised of four panels, each 10′ by 5.5′. The panels depict the history of printing, with subjects including hieroglyphs, manuscripts, and modern printing. After six months of research, Dickinson painted the mural in five weeks.

According to the Los Angeles Sentinel (one of the most influential African-American newspapers in the Western United States), “Dickinson was employed as an art teacher at the Art Center School of Los Angeles and needed to devote time as a muralist at several schools including Jefferson High and San Pedro High, to make ends meet. He applied for a grant to paint the mural.

“Dickinson’s mural is a tour de force,” the Sentinel continues, “because of its contextual sensitivity to the surrounding community. Not only did it complement Jefferson High’s Streamline Modern style, but it also complemented the intellectual and social prowess of Central Avenue’s Golden Age. Less than a mile away from the school’s entrance was the vibrant ambience of Los Angeles’ Black intellectual, social, political and artistic community.”

Source notes

Originally posted in the New Deal Art Registry

Onofre di Stefano, “Ross Dickinson’s Mural: A Timeless Connection with Jefferson High and the Eastside Community,” Los Angeles Sentinel (blog), February 21, 2019.

Site originally submitted by Natalie McDonald on October 12, 2014.

Location Info


1319 E. 41st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90011
Los Angeles County

Location notes: Library

Coordinates: 34.0095, -118.2512

Site Details

[email protected] created on 2012-06-18 17:11:17 -0700 [email protected] last modified on 2012-06-18 17:17:05 -0700

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.