Coronado Mural, Santa Fe, NM - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

As anyone who’s been there knows, the Grand Canyon is very popular with European tourists. But who were the first Europeans to see the Grand Canyon? That would be members of the Coronado Expedition in 1540. Besides the Grand Canyon, the expedition trekked over much of present-day Arizona, New Mexico, parts of Texas and Kansas before returning to Mexico in 1542.

In keeping with the geographical notions and desires of Spanish explorers of that time, Coronado set out with a huge entourage to discover untold riches and a better route to Asia. But the expedition was marred by lack of preparation, harsh interaction with the natives, mass desertion and getting lost. The eventual realization that Kansas was not the gateway to the Orient caused the expedition to return to Mexico as an abject failure.

In spite of little or no positive accomplishments, the Coronado Expedition did represent one of the earliest major explorations into what is now a large area of the United States (80 years prior to the landing of the Pilgrims in Plymouth). Consequently, it’s been celebrated with any number of place names and other commemorations such as this 1940 postage stamp.

The mural measures over 10’ by 30’ and was one of two painted by Cincinnati artist Gerald Cassidy in 1921. They face each other perhaps symbolizing the confrontation of Old World and New World. The first is entitled “Coronado and His Captains,” and is the one depicted on the stamp. The other shows a group of Zuni warriors.

Most post office murals are associated with WPA projects during the Great Depression. But these Coronado murals were originally installed in a Santa Fe theater in 1921. When the theater was torn down, the murals were painstakingly removed and preserved. They eventually wound up here in the Joseph M. Montoya Federal Building which houses, among other things, a post office.

Though this mural has nothing to do with the WPA, artist Gerald Cassidy did die while working on a WPA project. Apparently, while working in a poorly ventilated area on a painting for the Santa Fe Court House, he succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Stamp Issuing Country: United States Date of Issue: 7-Sep-1940 Denomination: 3c Color: violet Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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