Existing comment:
On the Balcony:
Positioned above the balcony on the western end of the Jefferson Gallery hang two colorful murals that show scenes from the main area of the World's Fair grounds. On the left if Fred Green Carpenter's "View from Festival Hall to the Grand Basin," and on the right, Frederick Gray's "View Looking Towards the Cascades and Festival Hall."
Painted on canvas that has been affixed to the wall, both murals were installed in 1914 in the newly completed Jefferson Memorial Building. The first national memorial dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, the building was constructed with proceeds from the 1904 World's Fair. As the former president of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, David R. Francis thought it appropriate that the memory of the Fair be forever preserved in the new structure. He commissioned two local artists to decorate the balcony with images that would capture the grandeur and magnificence of the fairgrounds. Although Carpenter and Gray had originally planned four views to decorate each corner of the balcony, only two were finally put in place. |