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Lewis
and Clark Expedition . The paintings were shown at the historic
site during August, September and November of 2006 to commemorate
the Bicentennial of their return to Saint Louis in September,
1806.
Central to the exhibit is a painting of an overview of Saint
Louis circa 1806 with the Corps of Discovery in their dugout
canoes coming down the Mississippi River to dock at the foot
of Market Street. The townspeople, 1000 strong, line the banks
of the 50 foot bluff the old city stood on-- the site or the
Gateway Arch today. As far as is known, no other artist has depicted
the Return of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery showing
the city and the jubilation of the explorers and the citizen's
of Saint Louis welcoming them home.
Research for this painting was painstakingly slow and rewarded
few personal accounts and those were sketchy at best. There were
no newspapers and Lewis or Clark noted very little in their journals
about the return. The Catholic Church records revealed the most
about the settlement and character of the people. The major part
of her research was done at the Newberry Library in Chicago,
Illinois, through the Missouri Historical Library in Saint Louis
and the Lewis and Clark Museum.
The day of return was overcast, the time of day 12 o'clock noon.
There were no cast shadows. The painting is done in sepia tones
and the buildings and houses are drawn in with sepia ink giving
the painting an appearance of things past. Most of the houses
are of plank or stone and owner of the property is identified
by means of a key placed beside the painting.
Saint Louis was founded and the the town laid out by a Frenchman,
Pierre LaClede Liguest in 1763 for the fur trade. He predicted
it would become one of the country's finest cities.
Additional Exhibition Information:
A list of the places The American Legacy
Collection has helped celebrate centennials, bicentennials, anniversaries,
events & observances.
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