Display of 1940s murals starts Friday at museum

For the first time in more than 10 years, a set of four murals commissioned by the Southeast Missourian in the 1940s will be on public display.

The public viewing starts Friday at the River Heritage Museum for the murals of Ary Marbain.

Marbain, a St. Louis-based artist, painted four murals for the Southeast Missourian in 1944 in celebration of the newspaper's 40th anniversary. At the time, newspaper owners Fred and George Naeter saw the murals as a point of local pride and promotion.

"Metropolis" shows Cape Girardeau as a bustling river town serviced by boats, the downtown skyline dominated by the Common Pleas Courthouse. "Industry" shows the centers of downtown Cape Girardeau industry at the time, including a bustling railroad and several factories.

"Culture" depicts the city's social institutions and centers of activity -- the university, schools, parks and churches. And "The Land of Plenty" shows a wide view of the area surrounding Cape Girardeau, particularly the large tracts of farmland.

Museum director Marge Thompson said the murals have been at the museum since at least the late 1980s. They used to hang on walls in the museum's public area, but were taken down in 1995.

Since that time they've been in storage.

Now the museum wants to display the murals in commemoration of its 25th anniversary, she said. Thompson said they're likely to stay in public view.

"I think we're going to leave them where they are pretty much indefinitely," she said.

The museum is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and by appointment.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182