Beginning in late April, 2024, we will post more updates as the painting progresses!
Black and white photo of the original mural
History of the Mural
Helen Treddwell, a prominent artist from the Philadelphia, PA area, was commissioned by the Budd Manufacturing Co, and Burlington Route to create murals for the new 1947 Twin Cities Zephyrs' cars. Each mural showed different historic events during the time explorers were discovering what the Upper Mississippi River was all about. Her artistic murals were painted on canvas and then mounted onto interior bulkhead walls. Each mural helped create a warm atmosphere for travel.
SILVER VIEW'S mural was actually a map of the Upper Midwest showing the ROUTE OF THE TWIN CITIES ZEPHYRS along the Mississippi River between Chicago and St. Paul-Minneapolis. Unfortunately when the Twin Zephyrs cars were handed to Amtrak, it was decided the murals no longer had a place in Amtrak's service. So most of the murals were covered with carpet glue and carpet was affixed to cover the pieces of art.
View of what is left of the original mural, which was seen after the carpet was removed during recent restoration efforts.
Restoration plans to the original mural revealed the project would be extremely expensive and time-consuming. Thankfully, Chloe Metz, https://www.paintedbychloe.com/ a talented local Oregon, IL artist stepped forward to create a replica of the original mural. The photo below shows a blank canvas ready for her to begin. She will shine the image of the original mural onto the canvas, trace the figures and details, then color in the tracings. Work will begin soon, the finish date however has not been determined. Updates and photos are planned to follow the progress of the final reproduction.
Photo of the blank canvas being prepared for the painting.
Check back for more pictures that will be posted during the recreation process!