The Old 11th Ward

I stumbled upon a write-up about a famous mural in the 11th Ward in Salt Lake where I grew up.

The old chapel was located at 131 South 10th East.  I don't remember much about it since I was six or seven when we moved out of it into the new chapel on First South.  So I was excited to see photos of the old chapel.

As a bonus I was able to learn more about the famous mural that was painted on the wall of the chapel circa 1919 by L. Ramsey.  The story goes that he was not too impressed by the painted vines he had to stare at behind the podium during Sacrament Meeting.

So he offered to paint the mural.  He actually had some financial support from the members to carry out the project.

The painting was of Joseph Smith receiving the plates from Moroni.  The title: The Restoration.

So, what did they do with the mural when they tore down the building?  They chiseled around it, encased it in concrete and sent it off to storage.

...and then forgot where they put it.  A family member asked about it and some brave soul went looking for it.  They found it not so well preserved behind a Deseret Press building.  It was falling apart.

After careful restoration of "The Restoration" it was placed in the 11th Ward once again.

What I recall being behind the choir seats was a blue ceramic tile background with some plants and shrubs.  The mural is a definite upgrade.

If anyone cares to check, there is a short video of the project here:
http://mormonartconservation.org/murals/mural-of-the-restoration-by-la-ramsey-found-and-restored/

And here's more about the artist and the original work:
http://home.comcast.net/~laramseyart/Joseph_Smith_Site/Restoration_Paintings.htm

(Note that there is a copy that found its way to the Chicago Temple courtesy of the Mickley family.  I'll be on the hunt to find it.)