Historic Glacier Park murals have a home in Whitefish

A pair of historic Glacier Park landscape murals are once again on public display.

The murals are two of 15 originally hung on the walls of Glacier National Park lodges. Doomed to be discarded during lodge restorations in the mid-1950s, they were saved by Leona and Robert Brown of West Glacier. For nearly 50 years the unsigned, untitled watercolor murals were kept in their attic, rolled up and forgotten.

The Browns passed down the murals to their granddaughter, Leanne, and her husband, Alan Goldhahn, of Bozeman. Leanne Goldhahn donated the murals in 2012 to the Hockaday Museum of Art in memory of her grandparents.

Recently, two of the larger murals were installed at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. A 4-by-7.5-foot piece features a familiar Lake McDonald scene and a larger 4-by-9-foot work showcases glaciers from the high country. Both of the works were specified “Dining Room” on the backs as their original location, with no mention of the lodge in which they were originally displayed.

The murals represent the fifth and sixth pieces that have been restored by the Hockaday.

Art conservationist Joe Abbrescia Jr. mounted the canvas murals to frames and touched up some areas damaged by water and age.

“They were rolled up for years and years, so there’s a lot of lines and dings,” he said.

Abbrescia didn’t want to get too detailed in the restoration, noting that most of the imperfections aren’t noticeable from a distance.

“I took care of some of the blemishes,” he said.

The goal of the museum is to have the murals restored and then displayed in public places so that all Glacier National Park aficionados may enjoy them. The first four murals are at the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell.

Those wishing to contribute to the continued restoration of the murals may contact interim Hockaday Executive Director Barry Conger at 406-755-5268 or by email at director@hockadaymuseum.org.