History of San Francisco (Refregier murals)
In 1941, Anton Refregier won the $26,000 commission for the series History of San Francisco, which are a set of 27 murals painted in the lobby of the Rincon Annex Post Office in San Francisco, California. Refregier painted the mural with casein tempera on white gesso over plaster walls, in the social realism style. Work was interrupted by World War II and restarted in 1946; the murals were completed in 1948.
| History of San Francisco | |
|---|---|
Lobbies of the Rincon Annex Post Office (now Rincon Center) with Refregier's History of San Francisco mural series lining the frieze. Top: View northwest in Spear St lobby Bottom: View northeast in Mission St lobby | |
| Artist | Anton Refregier |
| Year | 1941 |
| Medium | Mural, egg tempera on gesso |
| Subject | |
| Dimensions | 2.06 m × 120 m (6.75 ft × 400 ft) |
| Location | San Francisco |
Rincon Annex | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
San Francisco Designated Landmark No. 107 | |
Rincon Center in 2008, view directed east from the corner of Mission and Spear | |
| Location | 101--199 Mission St., San Francisco, California |
| Coordinates | 37°47′33″N 122°23′31″W |
| Area | 1.9 acres (0.77 ha) |
| Built | 1940 |
| Built by | George A. Fuller Construction Co. |
| Architect | Gilbert Stanley Underwood |
| Architectural style | Streamline Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000537 |
| SFDL No. | 107 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 16, 1979 |
| Designated SFDL | 1980 |
In 1953, U.S. Representative Hubert B. Scudder opened a Congressional hearing to determine whether the murals should be removed for themes "inconsistent with American ideals and principles"; the often contentious proceedings concluded with their retention. The building is now part of Rincon Center, remodeled as shops and residences after the Post Office left in 1979, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places that year. The Rincon Center lobby is publicly accessible, and regular guided tours of the murals are provided by volunteers.