When project architect John Harbeson went looking for an artist for mural in the cars, he tapped into the talents of his former student, Mary Louise Lawser. A graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Lawser worked both as a sculptor and a painter. She created a series of murals that adorned the end walls of the dome-coaches, depicting such western historical themes as gold panning, Sutter's Fort, the Pony Express and the fur trade.
She also sculpted the appliques of apples and grapes which hung at each end of the dining room, as well as the lyre-based radio speaker covers.
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A Lawsen mural depicting the wagon trains of the old west, at the rear end of a dome-coach. (CZ brochure, c. 1950) |
Sculpted applique above the dining car aisle. Another view. |
Speaker grill at the front of each dome. This example is from the Silver Solarium, as it appears today. (A. Radecki photo) |
