The Beach Chalet has its own fascinating history. This is however, about the WPA work found at the Beach Chalet.
Port Scene by Lucien Labaut -Beach Chalet Murals
Fisherman’s Wharf
A peaceful beach scene that incorporates some of Labaudt’s friends and family.
All the murals in the Beach Chalet were done by one artist, Lucien Labaudt. Born in France, he came to the United States in the early 1900s. He was an accomplished dress designer to the rich and famous of San Francisco High Society. He is responsible for decorating the curved walls in Coit Tower with frescoes (these frescoes are not available for public viewing). In 1936 he painted Advancement of Learning throughout the Printing Press, a fresco at George Washington High School. When asked about the limitations WPA art often came under he wrote “limitation forces one to think and therefore to create…Far from destroying the artist’s individuality, these limitations give him something to fight for. He must solve a problem. ” Labaudt died in a plane crash over Burma in 1943, on assignment to do war sketches for Life Magazine.
“San Francisco Life” is the title of the frescoes covering three walls of the first floor of the Beach Chalet. The mural depicts four San Francisco tourist locales: the beach, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the Marina. Recognizable figures of the time from the arts and politics are shown in the mural scenes, engaging in leisure activities. Since Labaudt painted the mural in 1936-37, during the Great Depression, such leisure would have actually been out of reach for most people. Showing high-profile figures, including WPA administrators, enjoying their leisure time, was most probably a political comment on the inequalities of the times.
Fantastic! I especially like the beach scene at the bottom.
I really like these. I’m always interested in how Americans are viewed and understood and portrayed. The WPA was such an important force in our society. I knew it provided funding for various artistic endeavors but you’ve made me realize the scope of it. Too bad we can’t do something similar today. Sadly, efforts to fund the arts are being shot down by our legislator/politicians.
These are beautiful murals. The last one made me smile! All those bathing beauties! Hope you have a nice 4th of July, too!
Wonderful pieces. I like how he got around the limitations to still make a statement.
Thank you for that link. I love learning about SF history and seeing old pictures. Although having passed by the Beach Chalet many times, I have never been inside, but I can always see people through those big windows enjoying their meals.
[…] was common for WPA muralists to place people they knew or people of note in their work. Here Lucien Labaudt inserts Arthur Brown Jr.. Brown was the Architect of City Hall (shown over his left shoulder) and […]
So glad to see these featured on your blog. Have fond memories of hanging out here when it was just a joint at the beach. As I remember it was also a place favored by bikers. Back then, it was never crowded. I don’t remember them serving food like they do now. But I definitely remember the murals.
Robert still has the t-shirt he bought there:) Love all these murals!
[…] Labaudt’s Beach Chalet murals: John McLaren (G.G. Park Superintendent) in left foreground on bench, with Jack Spring (later […]