Fort Myers: An Alternative History, Fort Myers, Florida
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BoomersOTR
N 26° 38.594 W 081° 52.260
17R E 413310 N 2947216
A Federal Art-in-Architecture Program mural located on the eastern wall of the Federal Courthouse in Fort Myers, FL.
Waymark Code: WMTMGX
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 12/11/2016
Views: 4
Material: Sepia-toned ceramic tiles, 20 feet tall by 100 feet wide
This mural is part of the Federal Art-in-Architecture Program and is located on the eastern wall of the federal courthouse and can be viewed from the courtyard which it shares with Hotel Indigo and Starbucks.
The mural consists of several outstanding features that are representative of a lesser known and/or acknowledged 46 year period of Fort Myers history.
The left section of the mural depicts Chief Billy Bowlegs, Seminole Indians, and the steamer Grey Cloud. According to the muralist this depicts the hunting and rounding up of the Seminoles and their being shipped to the “Indian Territories” of Oklahoma and Arkansas on May 4, 1858.
The center section depicts a section of stockade of the old fort for which the city is named, followed by a contingent of the 2nd Regiment of the United States Colored Troops that defended the fort from Confederate attack in what is known as the southernmost battle of the Civil War. Included in this section are depictions of racial traditions of the time period.
The right section depicts a cattle rancher leaning against a steer symbolic of the early beginnings of Fort Myers when it was primarily know as a cow town and an Atlantic Coast Line Railroad locomotive that brought rail service to the town on Feb. 20, 1904.
To create the mural Revelle spent two years researching historical documents, treaties and photographs. She then digitized the photographs and transferred the digital prints to thousands of ceramic tiles using printing technologies that were considered innovative in the 1990’s. Next the sepia-toned graded mosaic tiles then were affixed to the pre-cast concrete walls of the courthouse by masons using a master digital montage print-out.
City: Fort Myers, FL
Location Name: United States Federal Courthouse
Artist: Barbara Jo Revelle
Date: January 1999
Media: Photo-digitized sepia-toned mosaic ceramic tiles
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and description of your visit. One original photo of the mural must also be submitted. GPSr photo NOT required.