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Greg Harp | all galleries >> Photo A Day Archive >> 2006 Photo a Day >> May 2006 > Mural ~ May 11
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11-MAY-2006 Greg Harp

Mural ~ May 11

Madison, South Dakota

Mural atop the entrance to the Karl E. Mundt Library on the campus of Dakota State University.
The bas-relief mural, designed in the 1960s and representing the history of the written word, includes Egyptian hieroglyphics, a parchment scroll, a quill pen, a printing press, a book, and an atomic symbol representing future developments in the written word.

The mural was based on an original sketch by Joel Hayden Salter, an art instructor at Dakota State from 1965 to 1967. The design was simplified for casting by architect Ralph A. Koch who cut a mold to match the design in foam plastic. The mold was coated with plaster and filled with concrete to a depth of seven inches. A Wyoming white aggregate, white silica, and white cement were used. Three months of work and curing were required. The four sections were hauled to the library where steel inserts in the panels were welded to the building. The mural, which was cast in concrete with a core of insulation by Gage Brothers Concrete (Sioux Falls, SD), weighs 26,000 pounds.

Among the dignitaries present for the dedication of the mural in 1969 was President Richard M. Nixon.


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comment
royalld16-May-2006 16:06
Conspicuously missing is the personal computer. But in 1969, who knew?
caveman_lee14-May-2006 13:37
Nice shot. Thanks for the description.
Guest 14-May-2006 08:10
Well done for finding out all that detail Greg - I guess you asked at the library - quite convenient in this case!
It didn't click what this was until I read your description - I think the cogs and the atom threw me a bit. I like the hieroglyphics bit best.
Barb13-May-2006 15:08
Nice art work and you have captured it well.
You are a little ways from home. :-)
Neal Nye13-May-2006 11:52
Just the right lighting to bring reveal all the detail.
Karen Stuebing13-May-2006 11:19
Very impressive artwork and you captured the 3D element very well.
Bryan Murahashi13-May-2006 05:26
Very nice artwork.
s_barbour13-May-2006 02:20
Awesome piece of art!
carol j. phipps13-May-2006 02:00
Thanks for sharing this piece of art work and the history.
Robin Reid12-May-2006 15:51
Very interesting.