Last week, I told you — yes, I'm talking to YOU — about the remarkable murals that Memphis artist Maysie Dimond had painted across 150 feet of the walls of Ellis Auditorium. When that building was demolished to make way for the gleaming new Cannon Center, the murals came tumbling down too.
Well, my pal Wayne Dowdy, the manager of the History Department for the Memphis and Shelby County Public Library, turned up two nice photos showing two of the original panels, so here you go.
I suppose I could take a lot of time explaining just who everybody is in these panels, and what some of the other images and symbols represent, but gosh-a-mighty that seems like an awful lot of trouble, not to mention a lot of typing, so I'd rather you just do that for yourself. It builds character.
Also take the time to read the narrative at the bottom, which was also painstakingly painted on the auditorium walls by Maysie. A lot of work went into this. It tires me out just to think about it, but then so does everything else these days.
While I'm at it, I should point out that Wayne is not only a historian of considerable note in this area — if not around the world — but the author of three fine books on local history: Mayor Crump Don't Like It: Machine Politics in Memphis, The Hidden History of Memphis, and Crusades for Freedom: Memphis and the Political Transformation of the American South. All highly recommended by me.
Thanks, Wayne!
PHOTOS COURTESY WAYNE DOWDY AND THE MEMPHIS AND SHELBY COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY AND INFORMATION CENTER.
